Paris Climate Agreement enters into force, more efforts required

The global Paris Agreement on climate change entered into force on 4 November 2016, i.e. 30 days after 55 countries, representing 55% of global greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, have deposited their instruments of ratification, acceptance or accession with the Secretary-General. So far, 94 countries and the European Union have ratified the Agreement, exceeding the 55% threshold for emissions.



Adopted by 196 parties to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) in December 2015 in France, the Paris Agreement aims to strengthen the global response to the threat of climate change by keeping the global temperature rise this century well below 2°C above pre-industrial levels and to pursue efforts to limit it to 1.5°C. The Agreement calls on countries to accelerate and intensify the actions and investments needed for a sustainable low carbon future, and to adapt to the increasing impacts of climate change. Additionally, the Agreement aims to strengthen the ability of countries to deal with the impacts of climate change. It calls for scaled up financial flows, a new technology framework and an enhanced capacity-building framework to support action by developing countries and the most vulnerable countries in line with their own national objectives. The Agreement also provides for enhanced transparency of action and support through a more robust transparency framework and a stocktaking mechanism to ramp up ambition over time.



Though historical, the Agreement may be insufficient, as the UN Environment Programme estimates that temperatures should rise by 2.9-3.4°C this century, even if the Paris pledges are fully implemented. According to the UNEP's Emissions Gap report, global GHG emissions should reach 54-56 GtCO₂eq by 2030, i.e. 12-14 GtCO₂eq above the level of 42 GtCO₂eq needed to limit global warming to 2°C this century.