Implementation of Nationally Determined Contributions under the Paris Agreement - Comparing the Approach of China and the EU

Abstract

Climate change is a pressing global issue that is rapidly requiring a global response under international law. The UN Framework Convention on Climate Change was created by the UN to unite states in coordinating efforts to lower greenhouse gas emissions while continuing to develop in a more sustainable way. The Kyoto Protocol and the Paris Agreement were two succeeding efforts under the UNFCCC to decrease emissions and prepare adaptations for the effects of climate change. The Kyoto Protocol required mandatory reduction in carbon emissions by industrialised developed states, and it inevitably collapsed. The Paris Agreement required voluntary reduction of carbon emissions by all member states. In this paper, we look at the evolution of the international climate change legal regime, from the UNFCCC adaptation at Rio de Janeiro, to the failed Kyoto Protocol and the innovation of the Paris Agreement. In particular, we look at the implementation efforts by the EU and China of the Paris Agreement, as two of the major carbon emitters on the planet who are still parties to the agreement. Although both China and the EU set lofty goals in accordance with the Paris Agreement requirements, neither state's plan is adequate to deal with global warming in the long run. We argue that the greatest innovation of the Paris Agreement is in climate change related information gathering, sharing, and reporting. The rapidly deteriorating condition of the global climate makes accurate information on national carbon emission and carbon reduction efforts, essential for long-term prediction and planning. Therefore, in the fight against global warming, timely and reliable information on carbon emissions and how national governments are dealing with that have become more valuable than just complying with global targets.