While the expanded transparency framework is universal, as is the global inventory to be held every five years, the framework aims to provide “integrated flexibility” to distinguish between the capacities of developed and developing countries. In this context, the Paris Agreement includes provisions to improve the capacity building framework. [58] The agreement recognises the different circumstances of some countries and notes in particular that the technical expert review for each country takes into account that country`s specific reporting capacity. [58] The agreement also develops an initiative to enhance transparency to help developing countries put in place the institutions and processes necessary to comply with the transparency framework. [58] Carbon dioxide, salmon gas, and methane are gases that accumulate in the atmosphere and prevent heat from spreading from the Earth`s surface into space, leading to what is known as the greenhouse effect. According to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), the main international scientific body dealing with this issue, the concentration of these heat-capturing gases has increased significantly since a pre-industrial period and has risen to a level that has not been reached for at least 800,000 years. Carbon dioxide (the main cause of climate change) has increased by 40% since 1750, salmon gas by 20% and methane by 150%, mainly due to the burning of dirty fossil fuels. The IPCC says it is “extremely likely” that these emissions are mainly responsible for the rise in global temperatures since the 1950s. Meanwhile, deforestation and forest degradation have also contributed to their fair share of global carbon emissions. At present, 197 countries – every nation on earth, the last signatory being war-torn Syria – have adopted the Paris Agreement. Of these, 179 have consolidated their climate proposals with formal approval, including the United States for now.
The only major emitting countries that have not yet formally joined the deal are Russia, Turkey and Iran. One of the most important architectural concepts of the Cancun 2°C target, taken up in the long-term temperature target of the Paris Agreement, is to “keep warming” below a certain level. The term “stop below” is significantly stronger than a return to a certain level of warming for a given period (until 2100 (of an implicitly higher level). During the negotiations on this warming target, formulations such as a return to 2°C by 2100 were proposed and rejected. Looking at a series of emission trajectories consistent with a long-term temperature target, a requirement to keep a warming level below a certain level requires greater and faster emission reductions than a temperature target requiring a return to a certain degree of warming by 2100, for example. This has a concrete impact on policies – and emission trajectories – and, therefore, the Climate Action Tracker has taken care to use pathways that fit perfectly with the objectives. We have an agreement and now we have the opportunity to achieve our goal. We could not say that without an agreement.
The Paris Agreement will put us on the right track to reach the 2 degrees or less target. .