The Paris Agreement is a new international climate framework adopted at the 21st Conference of the Parties (COP21) to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change.
From the late 1980s onward, a global recognition began to form that a coordinated international response to environmental challenges — including climate change — was essential. In 1992, world leaders gathered at the UN Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro and signed the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), with the shared objective of "stabilizing greenhouse gas concentrations in the atmosphere at a level that would prevent dangerous human interference with the climate system." The first concrete agreement on how to achieve this objective came with the Kyoto Protocol, adopted at the 3rd Conference of the Parties in 1997. The Kyoto Protocol specified the types of greenhouse gases to be reduced, identified the countries with binding obligations, and set country-specific reduction targets. While it represented a meaningful step toward a global emissions reduction framework, the Protocol was ultimately limited by the refusal of certain listed countries to participate, and was set to expire in 2020.
[The Paris Agreement ⓒESG.ONL]
The need for a new framework led to a landmark moment: on December 12, 2015 — the final day of COP21 in Paris — a new international climate agreement was reached. This agreement is known as the Paris Agreement. What distinguishes it from earlier climate frameworks and agreements is the inclusion of a precise long-term management target: to limit the rise in global average temperatures to well below 2°C above pre-industrial levels, with efforts to limit the increase to 1.5°C. The Paris Agreement also marks a departure from the top-down, developed-country-centric approach of its predecessors, adopting instead a bottom-up framework that combines binding commitments with voluntary national contributions. All participating parties are required to establish, submit, and transparently report their Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) — making the agreement binding in terms of process and transparency. While no punitive measures are prescribed, the public availability of this information creates a system of peer pressure among signatory nations. NDC targets registered by each country are also reviewed on a five-year cycle. However, the specific means of implementation within each country are not subject to binding requirements, allowing for realistic participation and contribution in accordance with national circumstances.
The Paris Agreement has no set expiration date, reflecting the need for sustained long-term action on climate change. South Korea ratified the agreement following National Assembly approval during the regular legislative session, and formally proclaimed its accession on December 3, 2016 — remaining a participating party to this day.
by Editor O