The Road from Paris: assessing the implications of the Paris Agreement on fighting climate change

 

SUMMARY OF:

European Commission communication (COM(2016) 110 final) — the implications of the Paris Agreement adopted under the United Nations Convention on Climate Change

WHAT IS THE AIM OF THE COMMUNICATION?

• It sets out the key features of the Paris Agreement and how the European Union (EU) is implementing them.
• Leading by example, it aims to encourage its international partners in their efforts in making the switchover to a low carbon economy.

KEY POINTS

• The Paris Agreement provides a global action plan to tackle climate change. This includes:
  • limiting global warming to well below 2^oC above pre-industrial levels and efforts to keep temperature increase to 1.5^oC;
  • holding a ‘global stocktake’ every 5 years, starting in 2023, to analyse the progress made;
  • ensuring a legal obligation on signatories to take domestic mitigation* measures;
  • introducing stronger transparency and accountability measures with, for example, publication of greenhouse gas inventories every 2 years;
  • providing financial and other support to help less wealthy countries take the necessary adaptation* measures.
• The agreement was opened for signature on 22 April 2016 and entered into force on 4 November 2016.
• The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change will report in 2018 on the policy implications of the 1.5^oC goal.
• To implement the Paris Agreement, the EU will:
  • implement its ‘Energy union’ project, moving away from a fossil fuel economy;
  • support research and development for low-carbon innovation;
  • use EU finance, such as the European Fund for Strategic Investments, and policies, notably the Capital Markets Union, to encourage greater private investment;
  • use its own experience of carbon emissions pricing to encourage other countries to take similar measures;
  • encourage civil society at large — the public, industry and trade unions, and companies large and small — to contribute towards the goals;
  • emphasise the importance of climate action in its wide-ranging policy agenda with international partners, including special help for developing countries;
  • present various proposals, in areas such as energy efficiency and renewable energy, to meet its own 2030 climate and energy targets. Domestically, the EU aims to reduce its own greenhouse gas emissions by at least 40% by 2030.

BACKGROUND

At the Paris climate conference (COP21) in December 2015, 195 countries adopted the Paris Agreement, the first-ever universal, legally binding global climate deal.

The agreement entered into force after at least 55 countries, accounting for at least 55% of global emissions, ratified the agreement.

For more information, see:

• ‘Paris Agreement’ on the European Commission's website
• ‘Paris Agreement’ on the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change website.

* KEY TERMS

MAIN DOCUMENT

Communication from the Commission to the European Parliament and the Council — The Road from Paris: assessing the implications of the Paris Agreement and accompanying the proposal for a Council decision on the signing, on behalf of the European Union, of the Paris agreement adopted under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (COM(2016) 110 final, 2.3.2016)

last update 21.11.2016