The Paris Agreement is an international treaty that was adopted in 2015 by 196 countries, including the United States, China, India, and the European Union. The goal of the Paris Agreement is to limit global warming to well below 2 degrees Celsius (3.6 degrees Fahrenheit) above pre-industrial levels, and to pursue efforts to limit the temperature increase to 1.5 degrees Celsius (2.7 degrees Fahrenheit).
Here are five facts about the Paris Agreement that you should know:
1. It is legally binding: The Paris Agreement is legally binding, meaning that countries that have ratified the treaty are required to implement the actions they pledged to take to reduce their greenhouse gas emissions. The Agreement also includes a compliance mechanism to ensure that countries are meeting their commitments.
2. The US withdrew under the Trump administration: In 2017, President Trump announced that the United States would withdraw from the Paris Agreement, citing concerns about the impact on the US economy. The US officially withdrew from the Agreement on November 4, 2020, but President Biden has since rejoined the treaty.
3. The Agreement includes a financial mechanism: The Paris Agreement includes a financial mechanism to help developing countries transition to a low-carbon economy and adapt to the impacts of climate change. Developed countries have committed to providing $100 billion per year in climate finance by 2020, and to increase that amount in the following years.
4. Countries are required to set and report on their emissions targets: Countries that have ratified the Paris Agreement are required to set and report on their emissions reduction targets every five years. The first round of targets, submitted in 2020, showed that the world is still far from meeting the goal of limiting global warming to 2 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels.
5. The Paris Agreement is seen as a turning point in global climate action: The Paris Agreement is widely seen as a turning point in global climate action, as it brought together nearly all countries in a common effort to address the urgent threat of climate change. While there is still much work to be done to meet the Paris Agreement`s goals, the treaty represents a significant step forward in the fight against climate change.