PARIS CLIMATE DEAL

Subject : Environment

Context : The United States formally exits from the 2015 Paris Agreement on Climate Change which is a global deal to take collective actions to reduce consequences of global warming.

Concept :

• Even though USA announced its exit earlier in 2017, formal withdrawal could technically happen only a day after the US presidential election as per the UN climate body’s exit procedures for the deal.
• It made the US the first country to withdraw from the Agreement.
• With contributing 14% of total carbon emission, the US is currently the second biggest emitter after China (26%). The EU nations collectively contribute to 9% of total emission followed by India at 7%.

Paris Climate Agreement :

• Paris Agreement is an international agreement to combat climate change.It is widely recognized as a historic deal to stop global warming.

Aims :

• Keep the global temperature rise this century well below 2 degrees Celsius above the pre-industrial level.
• Pursue efforts to limit the temperature increase even further to 1.5 degrees Celsius.
• Strengthen the ability of countries to deal with the impacts of climate change.

Nationally Determined Contributions (NDC)

• The national pledges by countries to cut emissions are voluntary.
• The Paris Agreement requires all Parties to put forward their best efforts through “nationally determined contributions” (NDCs) and to strengthen these efforts in the years ahead.
• This includes requirements that all Parties report regularly on their emissions and on their implementation efforts.
• In 2018, Parties will take stock of the collective efforts in relation to progress towards the goal set in the Paris Agreement.
• There will also be a global stock take every 5 years to assess the collective progress towards achieving the purpose of the Agreement and to inform further individual actions by Parties.

India’s Intended Nationally Determined Contribution (INDC)

• India’s INDC include a reduction in the emissions intensity of its GDP by 33 to 35 per cent by 2030 from 2005 level.
• India has also pledged to create an additional carbon sink of 2.5 to 3 billion tonnes of CO2 equivalent through additional forest and tree cover by 2030.
• India will anchor a global solar alliance, INSPA (International Agency for Solar Policy & Application), of all countries located in between Tropic of Cancer and Tropic of Capricorn.

Frameworks under Paris Agreement

• Technology Framework
• Capacity Building Framework
• Transparency Framework

When will Paris Agreement come into force?

• Thirty days after the date on which at least 55 Parties to the Convention accounting in total for at least an estimated 55 % of the total global greenhouse gas emissions have deposited their instruments of ratification, acceptance, approval or accession with the Depositary.
• On 5 October 2016, the threshold for entry into force of the Paris Agreement was achieved.