Introduction - The Paris Agreement On Climate Change

Abstract

On 12 December 2015, the parties to the United Nations Convention on Climate Change (“UNFCCC”) adopted the Paris Agreement (“PA”) following several years of failed attempts to reach global agreement. The agreement represents the joined understanding of all nations into a common cause to undertake ambitious efforts to mitigate climate change, as well as to adapt to its effects globally. The PA is not divided into Chapters or Subsections, but is structured in a simple manner with a Preamble, followed by 29 operative articles, which set out the agreement’s scope and definitions, main objectives, and institutional provisions. This commentary on the PA provides a comprehensive, article-by-article, analysis of this ground-breaking agreement.