Paris (COP21)

Paris (COP21)
source
Name	Paris Agreement (COP21)
Location	Le Bourget, Île-de-France, France
Date	30 November–12 December 2015
Participants	196 Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change
Result	Adoption of the Paris Agreement

Paris (COP21) The 2015 United Nations Climate Change Conference, commonly known as COP21, convened in Le Bourget near Paris under the auspices of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change and produced the Paris Agreement, adopted by representatives of 196 Parties including United States, China, India, European Union, and Brazil. The conference assembled heads of state such as Barack Obama, Xi Jinping, Narendra Modi, and François Hollande alongside negotiators from United Nations, World Bank, International Monetary Fund, and non-state actors including Greenpeace, World Wide Fund for Nature, and Bill McKibben-linked movements. COP21 followed a sequence of conferences including COP15 in Copenhagen and COP3 in Kyoto, building on instruments like the Kyoto Protocol and processes within the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change.

Background and Negotiations

The lead-up to COP21 involved multilateral diplomacy among Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, with preparatory meetings in venues such as Bonn and negotiations mediated by figures like Christiana Figueres, Laurent Fabius, and officials from United Nations Environment Programme and UNFCCC Secretariat. Major bilateral initiatives including the U.S.–China Joint Announcement on Climate Change between United States and China shaped expectations alongside regional blocs such as the European Union, the African Group, and the Alliance of Small Island States. Scientific assessments by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change and economic analyses from the International Energy Agency and World Bank informed technical submissions from Parties including Germany, Japan, Canada, and South Africa. Negotiations referenced precedents like the Cancún Agreements, the Doha Amendment, and the architecture of nationally determined contributions proposed by Parties.

Objectives and Key Provisions

COP21 aimed to secure a universal, legally binding framework to limit anthropogenic warming, articulating targets influenced by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change's assessments and advocacy from civil society organizations such as 350.org and Sierra Club. Central provisions included a long-term temperature goal, finance mechanisms involving institutions like the Green Climate Fund and pledges influenced by donors including United States, United Kingdom, and Norway, and reporting frameworks linked to the Transparency Framework negotiated among Parties. The agreement addressed mitigation, adaptation, technology transfer involving entities like the Global Environment Facility, and loss and damage referencing the Warsaw International Mechanism established at COP19.

Participating Parties and Negotiation Process

Delegations from 196 Parties spanning sovereign states such as Russia, Australia, Saudi Arabia, and Mexico as well as regional entities like the European Union participated through negotiating groups including the Umbrella Group, the Like-Minded Developing Countries, and the Least Developed Countries constituency. The negotiation process used contact groups, presidencies, and presidencies' facilitators under leadership including Laurent Fabius and applied rules from the United Nations Charter and the UNFCCC modalities. Non-state stakeholders including World Wide Fund for Nature, Greenpeace International, corporate actors like Unilever and IKEA, and city networks such as C40 Cities and ICLEI contributed via the Conference of Parties’ observer arrangements.

Outcomes and Agreement Text

The principal outcome was the adoption of the Paris Agreement with operative articles setting the temperature goal "well below 2 °C" and pursuing efforts for 1.5 °C, a framework for Nationally Determined Contributions, a five-year ambition cycle, and mechanisms for transparency and global stocktake. The agreement text referenced prior instruments including the Kyoto Protocol and incorporated institutions such as the Green Climate Fund and mechanisms related to Technology Mechanism. The COP21 decision package included a decision to invite Parties to submit enhanced Nationally Determined Contributions and arrangements for implementation, entry into force, and signature at the United Nations Headquarters.

Implementation and National Commitments

Following COP21, Parties submitted Nationally Determined Contributions from countries like China, United States, European Union Member States, India, and Brazil outlining mitigation and adaptation actions with timelines and conditionality linked to finance from donors such as Germany and France. Implementation relied on domestic measures enacted in jurisdictions including California, United Kingdom, Germany, and China and coordination through multilateral entities like the Green Climate Fund, the Global Environment Facility, and the Climate Investment Funds. Countries developed national laws, plans, and carbon pricing mechanisms influenced by precedents such as the EU Emissions Trading System and national programs in Australia and Canada.

Reception, Criticism, and Impact

Reactions encompassed praise from leaders including Ban Ki-moon and Laurent Fabius and criticism from analysts, NGOs, and scholars regarding issues like adequacy of commitments, equity, and enforcement, with commentary from institutes such as the International Institute for Environment and Development and World Resources Institute. Critics cited potential shortfalls relative to Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change pathways and raised concerns about finance mobilization, with investigative reporting by outlets including The Guardian and New York Times. Supporters highlighted diplomatic breakthroughs involving United States–China cooperation and corporate signaling from firms like Google and Apple.

Legacy and Subsequent Developments

The legacy of COP21 includes the Paris Agreement's entry into force in 2016, ratification campaigns involving Brazil, European Union, and China, subsequent global stocktakes, and implementation initiatives such as the Talanoa Dialogue and the enhancement of Nationally Determined Contributions ahead of later Conferences of the Parties including COP24 in Katowice and COP26 in Glasgow. The Agreement influenced national policies, multilateral finance flows via the Green Climate Fund, and subnational commitments from networks like C40 Cities and corporate pledges in the Science Based Targets initiative.

Category:United Nations Climate Change Conferences Category:2015 in international relations