The Paris Agreement, officially known as the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, is a landmark international treaty that was adopted by 195 countries in December 2015. The agreement aims to limit global warming to well below 2 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels, and to pursue efforts to limit the temperature increase even further to 1.5 degrees Celsius.
The Paris Agreement also aims to strengthen the ability of countries to deal with the impacts of climate change, and to mobilize the needed funding and technology to transition to a low-carbon, sustainable future.
One key component of the Paris Agreement is the concept of Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs). NDCs are the commitments that each country makes to reduce its greenhouse gas emissions and adapt to the impacts of climate change.
Under the Paris Agreement, each country is expected to submit its NDCs every five years, which will be reviewed and assessed by the UNFCCC. The first round of NDCs was submitted in 2015, and many countries have since updated their targets.
The NDCs are an important tool for holding countries accountable for their climate actions, and for tracking progress towards the overall goal of limiting global warming. However, it is widely acknowledged that the current NDCs are not sufficient to meet the temperature goals of the Paris Agreement, and that much more ambition is needed.
To address this, the Paris Agreement includes a mechanism for ratcheting up ambition over time. Countries are encouraged to regularly update and enhance their NDCs, and to work towards increasing their ambition over time.
The next round of NDCs is due to be submitted in 2020, and there is a lot of anticipation around what countries will bring to the table. There are expectations that many countries will significantly increase their ambition, given the growing urgency of the climate crisis.
In conclusion, the NDCs of the Paris Agreement are a critical tool for addressing the existential threat of climate change. As countries work to meet their commitments and enhance their ambition over time, there is hope that the global community can transition to a sustainable, low-carbon future.