December 12, 2015
The Paris Agreement, adopted on December 12, 2015, is a landmark international accord aimed at combating climate change and its effects. To date, it brings together 195 nations with the goal of limiting global warming to well below 2 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels, while pursuing efforts to limit the increase to 1.5 degrees Celsius.
Key components of the agreement include:
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Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs): Each country sets its own climate action plans and targets, which are to be updated every five years to reflect greater ambition.
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Global Stocktake: A process to assess collective progress towards achieving the purpose of the agreement, conducted every five years.
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Climate Finance: Developed countries are urged to provide financial support to developing nations to help them mitigate and adapt to climate change.
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Transparency Framework: A system for monitoring, reporting, and verifying each country’s emissions and progress, ensuring accountability.
The agreement emphasizes the importance of resilience and adaptation strategies, with a focus on protecting the most vulnerable populations. It entered into force on November 4, 2016, marking a significant global commitment to addressing climate change.