In the previous video, you learned about the history of climate negotiations. In this video, you will learn more about the outcomes of a key moment: the Paris Agreement.

Key takeaways

• In 2015, the COP 21 led to the adoption of the Paris Agreement, which can be considered the most important climate agreement so far.
• In contrast to the previous paradigm that focused on the negotiation of targets between countries, a completely different approach was chosen. Countries were invited to voluntarily propose their intended commitments – the nationally determined contribution, reflecting the fact that these commitments were based entirely on national preferences and possibilities. Also, non-state actors, like cities and companies, were often involved in these talks.
• The total of commitments laid down in the NDCs would lead to about stabilisation of emissions and bring us on a pathway to a temperature increase of 3 degrees C. So, a substantial step forward, but certainly not enough to bring us to a level below two degrees C.
• One of the most surprising outcomes of the Paris negotiations is the sharpening of the climate target. Whereas the Copenhagen Agreement had set a target of a maximum temperature increase of two degrees C, the language in the new agreement was changed to well below 2 degrees C.
• To summarise: all this is a prolonged process, and a lot is too little too late. First, all these long-term pledges still need to be turned into national policies. Second, there are substantial uncertainties in the temperature outcome as we do not know precisely how the climate system will react to increased greenhouse gas emissions. Nevertheless, the process around the Paris Agreement has brought us on a pathway that, at least, still keeps open the pathway to a maximum one-and-a-half degree world.