When world leaders gathered in Paris in December 2015, they faced a critical question: how could the international community unite to tackle climate change after decades of fragmented efforts? The answer came in the form of the Paris Agreement, a landmark treaty that fundamentally changed how nations approach global climate action.
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From Durban to Paris: the making of a global climate deal
The Paris Agreement didn’t emerge overnight. Its foundation was laid four years earlier at COP17 in Durban, South Africa, in 2011, where countries established the Ad-Hoc Working Group on the Durban Platform for Enhanced Action. This working group had a clear mandate: develop a protocol or legal instrument that would apply to all countries by 2015.
What made the Durban Platform significant was its departure from previous climate treaties. For the first time, the framework explicitly called for an agreement “applicable to all parties,” moving away from the strict divide between developed and developing nations that characterized the Kyoto Protocol. The negotiating process launched in Durban set the stage for a more inclusive approach to global climate governance.
The negotiations that followed were intense. Over four years, countries worked through complex issues of fairness, responsibility, and capability. By the time delegates arrived in Paris for COP21 in December 2015, the groundwork had been carefully prepared through multiple negotiating sessions and diplomatic consultations.
The agreement’s core temperature goals
At the heart of the Paris Agreement lies Article 2, which establishes three interconnected objectives. The first and most widely discussed is the temperature goal: holding global temperature increase to well below 2°C above pre-industrial levels while pursuing efforts to limit it to 1.5°C.
This dual-target approach reflects both scientific necessity and political reality. The phrase “well below 2°C” represents a strengthening of previous commitments, while the 1.5°C aspiration acknowledges that even 2°C of warming poses significant risks, particularly for small island nations and other vulnerable communities. According to climate analysis, this goal requires global emissions to peak as soon as possible and reach net zero around 2070.
The second objective addresses adaptation, aiming to increase the ability to adapt to climate impacts while fostering climate resilience and low greenhouse gas development. The third objective focuses on finance, requiring that financial flows become consistent with pathways toward low emissions and climate-resilient development.
A new legal structure for climate action
The Paris Agreement entered into force on November 4, 2016, remarkably quickly for an international treaty. This rapid entry was possible because countries had agreed that the treaty would take effect once at least 55 parties representing at least 55% of global emissions had ratified it.
The agreement’s legal structure is distinctive. While it is legally binding, it employs a flexible approach that balances universal participation with differentiated responsibilities. Countries are legally required to submit national climate plans, but they determine their own targets based on national circumstances and capabilities.
This framework is built on the principle of common but differentiated responsibilities and respective capabilities. In practice, this means that while all countries must act, developed nations are expected to take the lead in emission reductions and provide financial and technological support to developing countries.
The five-year cycle: ratcheting up ambition
One of the Paris Agreement’s most innovative features is its ratcheting mechanism. Under Article 4.9, countries must communicate new Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) every five years. These NDCs are national climate action plans that outline how each country will reduce emissions and adapt to climate impacts.
The first NDCs were submitted in 2015, with updates required in 2020-2021. The next round of NDCs is due in 2025, covering actions through 2035. Each successive NDC must represent a progression beyond the previous commitment and reflect the highest possible ambition.
This five-year cycle is linked to a process called the Global Stocktake, which periodically assesses collective progress toward the agreement’s goals. The first Global Stocktake concluded at COP28 in 2023, revealing that current commitments fall far short of what’s needed to limit warming to 1.5°C. This assessment is designed to inform countries as they prepare more ambitious NDCs.
India’s commitments under the agreement
India ratified the Paris Agreement in October 2016 and has since updated its climate commitments. In its updated NDC submitted in 2022, India committed to reducing the emissions intensity of its GDP by 45% by 2030 compared to 2005 levels, up from the earlier target of 33-35%.
India also pledged to achieve about 50% of its cumulative electric power installed capacity from non-fossil fuel sources by 2030. Additionally, the country aims to create an additional carbon sink of 2.5 to 3 billion tonnes of CO2 equivalent through expanded forest and tree cover.
These commitments are part of India’s broader pathway toward achieving net-zero emissions by 2070. The updated NDC emphasizes a transition to cleaner energy, promotion of sustainable lifestyles through the “Mission LiFE” initiative, and climate justice that protects vulnerable populations. India has explicitly noted that achieving its more ambitious targets will require international financial resources and technology transfer, reflecting the Paris Agreement’s recognition that developed countries must support developing nations in climate action.
Moving from agreement to action
The Paris Agreement represents a significant shift in global climate governance. Unlike previous top-down approaches, it allows countries to set their own targets while establishing mechanisms to ensure these targets become progressively more ambitious. The agreement’s success depends on countries following through on their commitments and increasing their efforts over time.
As of early 2025, the agreement faces critical tests. Current national pledges remain insufficient to achieve the 1.5°C goal, and countries must submit strengthened 2035 targets. The effectiveness of the agreement ultimately depends on whether nations can translate commitments into concrete policies and whether developed countries will provide the promised financial and technological support to developing nations.
What do you think? Can a voluntary, bottom-up approach like the Paris Agreement drive the rapid emissions reductions scientists say are necessary? How might the tension between national sovereignty and global climate needs shape the evolution of international climate cooperation?
References
- https://enb.iisd.org/durban-climate-change-conference-cop17/summary-report
- https://www.c2es.org/content/cop-17-durban/
- https://www.un.org/en/climatechange/paris-agreement
- https://climateanalytics.org/comment/understanding-the-paris-agreements-long-term-temperature-goal
- https://unfccc.int/process-and-meetings/the-paris-agreement
- https://www.un.org/en/climatechange/all-about-ndcs
- https://www.weforum.org/stories/2025/02/cop29-ndcs-and-why-they-matter/
- https://www.pib.gov.in/PressReleaseIframePage.aspx?PRID=1847812®=3&lang=2
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