Paris Agreement: A Legacy of Hope, a Call for Action and Ambition

Let us take it step by step. The adoption of the Paris Agreement was the result of several converging factors, but I want to highlight, in particular, the political will reflected in the consensus achieved through a multilateral process fundamentally grounded in economic considerations, scientific information, and ethical values.

Since 1992, when the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change was adopted, the world did so with full awareness that the development model on which the prevailing system was based—marked by inequities, the excessive exploitation of natural resources, and disregard for planetary boundaries—had to change. I believe this is the best way to describe that Convention. A Convention that recognized the need to transform the economic system, strengthen inclusion, and reduce inequalities under the principle of “leaving no one behind,” all supported by scientific information that provided the solid foundation for political decision-making. That is the great value of the process.

But it was also understood that this “framework” agreement needed to be gradually and urgently consolidated through the adoption of subsequent mechanisms and agreements that would not only make us aware of the “sense of urgency,” but especially of the need to achieve mitigation and resilience goals. In this regard, the Kyoto Protocol represented progress, yet it was ultimately insufficient in generating a process built on a collective vision, and in its mission to involve all Parties and actors in implementing actions that could achieve those objectives.

That is what the Paris Agreement represents. An instrument designed with a wise structure, with a threshold that no one disputes—1.5 degrees Celsius as the “limit” to the planet’s average temperature increase—two clear objectives, mitigation and resilience; national climate plans or NDCs as the central implementation mechanism, supported by a mechanism of gradual improvement through five-year cycles informed by global stocktakes, enabling greater responsibility, accountability, and credibility; complemented by the requirement to prepare long-term strategies, and by three supporting pillars: climate finance, capacity-building, and technology transfer.

It is also the result of a process grounded in the principle of CBDR-RC (Common but Differentiated Responsibilities based on its Respective Capabilities), in which each State, each Party, and likewise each actor and citizen has an obligation to fulfill. A process built from the foundation of domestic realities yet illuminated by a global collective vision and a continuous improvement approach.

Furthermore, it was a success based on a rarely acknowledged fact: the climate process is, without a doubt, the most democratic of all multilateral processes. In that sense, the Paris Agreement was not only the result of consensus among Parties but also the product of the momentum generated by the active participation and role of the Climate Action Agenda launched in 2014 at COP20 in Lima. Today, many tend to criticize the massive participation at COPs, where attendance exceeds 50,000 people. But without such participation—and considering today’s threats to the climate process—that participation constitutes the strongest line of defense against resistance, denialism, lobbying pressures, and skepticism.

The Paris Agreement must also be understood as a dynamic instrument. Not only because of what was achieved in 2015, but more importantly because of the processes unleashed by its very essence. Today, the climate debate is fundamentally economic. Climate considerations in investment decisions, funds, bonds, and even macroeconomic public policies are increasingly common. Economic actors organized by sector under shared purposes, adopting standards and targets to be achieved no later than 2050, have enabled an economic dynamic that has positively spurred technological improvement aimed at promoting non-conventional renewable energy sources, at lower cost and with greater capacity to generate decent jobs and investment. It is clearly the economy—and the fact that the Paris Agreement and the climate debate are fundamentally about competitiveness and development—that will continue shaping the path forward.

At the same time, although more quietly, the climate debate has triggered an ethical debate, fortunately propelled by COP30 through the organization of a Global Ethical Stocktake. Human dignity, as an approach grounded in the recognition of inequalities and resulting vulnerability, has led not only to acknowledging resilience as an objective and adaptation as concrete action, but also to advancing considerations around Just Transition, the Loss and Damage mechanism, and more recently, climate justice. This last dimension has been magnificently reflected in the advisory opinion of the International Court of Justice.

A third element advanced by the Paris Agreement is the complementary political process that goes beyond the simple consideration of the role of climate COPs. Many criticize the slow pace of decision-making at COPs when compared to the sense of urgency conveyed by scientific information and the consequences of extreme climate events. But let us keep two elements in mind: the multilateral climate process will always be complex due to the need for consensus among almost 200 countries; and the evidence of economic progress, public awareness, and technological improvement is undeniable. More importantly, the climate debate today takes place every day of the year, perhaps more actively and concretely than in the COPs themselves—and this is one of the Agreement’s virtues.

We are aware that the climate process is under threat due to declining political support in certain States, even reflected in rollbacks of domestic climate policies. But we must always remember something: this situation is, in fact, temporary when compared to one of the greatest virtues of the Paris Agreement—its long-term vision and the medium- and short-term goals designed to gradually advance toward its objectives. The road ahead in the climate process will never be easy, but knowing where we want to go strengthens our ability to overcome obstacles every day. That is the legacy of the Paris Agreement.

Manuel Pulgar Vidal
Global Lead for Climate and Energy
WWF International
Chair of the IUCN Climate Action Commission