Format of the Paris Agreement:

For the Whats, Hows and Whens see the main Paris page. Here is a swift overview of the structure and contents of the Agreement, including the Articles.

  • Proposal by the President – threat, urgency and pledge gap
  • Adoption – Secretary General of UN to be Depositary and arrange Parties signatures
  • INDCs prior to becoming NDCs
  • Decisions to give effect to the Agreement:
  • MITIGATION – Parties submit approvals and first NDCs, COP bodies set everything up
  • ADAPTATION – Work to clarify adaptation needed, particularly for developing countries and how to finance and help adaptation
  • LOSS and DAMAGE – Warsaw International Mechanism to continue and advise on avert, minimise and address displacement. Liability and Compensation excluded
  • FINANCE – Funds from Developed Countries to Developing Countries around mitigation and implementation particularly around deforestation
  • TECHNOLOGY DEVELOPMENT AND TRANSFER – Technology needs assessments, enhanced implementation of results, addressing of barriers and a bankable project list
  • CAPACITY BUILDING – Capacity building in developing countries
  • TRANSPARENCY OR ACTION AND SUPPORT – The Global Environment Facility to handle improved reporting, transparency, accuracy, completeness, consistency and comparability
  • GLOBAL STOCKTAKE – include the overall effect of NDCs, adaptation efforts, IPCC reports, subsidiary body reports
  • FACILITATING IMPLEMENTATION AND COMPLIANCE – Compliance committee [not yet names] to oversee compliance.
  • FINAL CLAUSES – publish up to date information on greenhouse gas emissions
  • IV ENHANCED ACTION PRIOR TO 2020 – highest possible mitigation pre 2020. Two ‘champions’ to facilitate co-operation between Parties, Non Party experts, Non Party Stakeholders, Climate Technology Centre and Financial bodies including developing countries on Mitigation and Resilience
  • V NON PARTY STAKEHOLDERS – encourages non-party stakeholders to work with Non-State Actor Zone for Climate Action Platform (NAZCA) to register activities and share best practice, recognising role of domestic policies and carbon pricing
  • VI ADMINISTRATIVE AND BUDGETARY MATTERS – Urges Parties to make voluntary contributions
  • Annex PARIS AGREEMENT – takes into account topics such as poverty, food production, quality jobs, gender equality, intergenerational equality, human rights, vulnerable people, ecosystems, oceans, mother earth, climate justice, sustainable consumption and production
  • Article 1 – definitions
  • Article 2 – pursue efforts to limit the temperature increase to 1.5deg above pre-industrial levels
  • Article 3 – undertake ambitious NDCs, progressing over time and supporting developing countries
  • Article 4 – aim to reach global peaking of GHG as soon as possible to achieve a balance of emissions and sinks. Parties acting jointly must notify the emission level for each Party
  • Article 5 – sinks and reservoirs of GHG particularly forests
  • Article 6 – internationally transferred mitigation outcomes and non-market approaches
  • Article 7 – Adaptation across local, sub national, national, regional and international dimensions. The greater the mitigation the less need for adaptation. Particularly supporting adaptation for developing countries
  • Article 8 – Loss and Damage, preparedness and insurance
  • Article 9 – Assistance to developing countries from a variety of sources for mitigation and adaptation
  • Article 10 – co-operative effort on Technology development and transfer, accelerating, encouraging and enabling innovation
  • Article 11 – Capacity building (to implement the Agreement
  • Article 12 – education, training, public awareness, public information
  • Article 13 – transparency framework including technical expert review identifying areas of improvement per Party
  • Article 14 – Global Stocktake from 2023 and every 5 years
  • Article 15 – Committee to facilitate implementation and promote compliance
  • Article 16 – Conference of the Parties to serve as the Conference of this Agreement, starting with the COP following the date of the Agreement (2020)
  • Article 17 – Secretariat to do as required by the Conference of the Paris Agreement
  • Article 18 – Subsidiary Bodies
  • Article 19 – similar to above
  • Article 20 – Agreement signatures 22/04/16 to 21/04/2017 and regional integration organizations
  • Article 21 – Agreement in force 30 days after 55 Parties deposit their instruments (if 55% of GHG covered)
  • Article 22 – Adoption of amendments same as for Convention amendments
  • Article 23 – Annexes in the Agreement integral to Agreement
  • Article 24 – Settlements of disputes the same as for the main Convention
  • Article 25 – One Party one vote. If any Party in a Regional Economic Integration Organization votes then the organization cannot vote. Otherwise can use all the votes
  • Article 26 – The Secretary General of the United Nations shall be the Depositary of this Agreement.
  • Article 27 – No reservations can be made to this Agreement
  • Article 28 – A Party can withdraw one year after giving notice from 3 years from the Agreement becoming in force
  • Article 29 – The Agreement is also authentic in other languages.