WHAT looked like discord for days ended up in accord. The 21st Conference of the parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCC) in Paris finally produced an agreement unlike the previous attempt in Copenhagen in 2009. Governance of the participating countries are now acutely aware of the need for dealing with climate change. They have agreed in Paris to hold the rise of global temperature to “well below” 2 degrees C above pre-industrial levels and later to reduce it to 1.5 degrees C. It was a great achievement as the 196 countries at the Conference had competing interests although a certain amount of vagueness is still there. Unlike the 1997 Kyoto Protocol, the Paris accord does not set specific legally binding requirements for emission cuts to be made by developed nations. But there has been an agreement to arrive at “net zero emission”between 2050 and 2100.
Every nation, rich or poor, will have to come up with its proposals towards this end from 2020. A review mechanism will evaluate each country’s climate plans and ask it to increase its pledges over the years. The first such evaluation is due in 2023. Besides, wealthy nations will be called upon to provide more climate funds to poorer nations. But there has been no accord on how much, or on technology sharing and transfer. Indian environment Minister Prakash Javadekar considered the Paris accord is victory for India. In the past, the country was accused of scuttling such talks. The Paris accord does not fulfil the great expectations raised at the inauguration of the summit but the concern that was shown generates enormous confidence in the prospects ahead.
