key term - Paris Climate Accord

Definition

The Paris Climate Accord is an international agreement within the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), which aims to limit global warming to well below 2°C above pre-industrial levels, with efforts to limit it to 1.5°C. It serves as a key instrument in the global effort to address climate change through mitigation, adaptation, and financial support.

5 Must Know Facts For Your Next Test

1. The Paris Climate Accord was adopted in 2015 and has been signed by 195 countries, making it the first universal, legally binding global climate agreement.
2. The agreement requires countries to submit and regularly update their national climate action plans, known as Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs), to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
3. The accord emphasizes the importance of financial support from developed countries to developing countries to aid in mitigation and adaptation efforts.
4. In 2017, the United States announced its intention to withdraw from the Paris Agreement, but later rejoined the accord in 2021 under the Biden administration.
5. The successful implementation of the Paris Climate Accord is crucial for achieving the global goal of limiting temperature rise to well below 2°C, and preferably to 1.5°C, above pre-industrial levels.

Review Questions

• Explain how the Paris Climate Accord relates to presidential governance and direct presidential action.
  • The Paris Climate Accord is a key instrument in the global effort to address climate change, and the U.S. president's decision to withdraw from or rejoin the agreement is a direct exercise of presidential governance and action. The president's stance on the Paris Accord can significantly impact the United States' international climate policy, its relationships with other countries, and its domestic efforts to mitigate and adapt to climate change. The president's ability to make such decisions highlights the direct presidential action that can shape the country's participation in and commitment to the Paris Climate Accord.
• Describe how the Paris Climate Accord relates to foreign policy instruments and institutional relations in foreign policy.
  • The Paris Climate Accord is a multilateral international agreement that involves complex institutional relations and the use of various foreign policy instruments. As a foreign policy tool, the accord allows countries to engage in cooperative efforts to address a global challenge, climate change. It requires countries to coordinate their national climate action plans and work together to achieve the agreement's goals. The institutional relations involved in the Paris Accord include the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), which oversees the implementation of the agreement, as well as the interactions between national governments, international organizations, and other stakeholders in the global climate regime.
• Analyze how a country's decision to withdraw from or rejoin the Paris Climate Accord can impact its international standing and relationships with other countries.
  • A country's decision to withdraw from or rejoin the Paris Climate Accord can have significant implications for its international standing and relationships with other countries. Withdrawing from the agreement can be seen as a rejection of the global effort to address climate change, potentially damaging the country's reputation and diplomatic relations with other nations that remain committed to the accord. Conversely, rejoining the agreement can be viewed as a commitment to multilateral cooperation and environmental stewardship, which can strengthen the country's international standing and its ability to collaborate with partners on climate-related initiatives. These decisions can also affect a country's access to climate finance, technology transfer, and other forms of international support, further influencing its foreign policy and institutional relations.

Related terms

UNFCCC: The United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, the international environmental treaty that provides a framework for intergovernmental cooperation on climate change.

Mitigation: Actions taken to reduce or prevent greenhouse gas emissions, such as transitioning to renewable energy, improving energy efficiency, and protecting carbon sinks like forests.

Adaptation: Adjustments in natural or human systems in response to actual or expected climatic changes, such as building infrastructure to withstand extreme weather events.