The Paris Agreement is an international treaty adopted by the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) in 2015. It aims to limit global warming to below 2 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels and to pursue efforts to limit the increase to 1.5 degrees Celsius.
The Paris Agreement has 195 signatories, including 194 UNFCCC parties and the European Union. The agreement entered into force on November 4, 2016, after being ratified by at least 55 parties representing at least 55% of global greenhouse gas emissions.
As of 2021, 191 of the signatories have ratified the agreement, while four countries – Iran, Iraq, Eritrea, and Turkey – have signed but not ratified it.
The largest emitters of greenhouse gases, China and the United States, are among the signatories. Both countries ratified the agreement in 2016, but the United States withdrew from the agreement in 2020 under the Trump administration. The Biden administration has since rejoined the agreement, with the United States officially re-entering the pact on February 19, 2021.
As of 2021, the top 10 countries by total greenhouse gas emissions that have ratified the Paris Agreement are:
1. China
2. United States
3. European Union
4. India
5. Russia
6. Japan
7. Brazil
8. Indonesia
9. Iran
10. Canada
While the Paris Agreement is a significant step toward global climate action, there are ongoing concerns about its efficacy and implementation. Some critics argue that the voluntary nature of the agreement and the lack of enforceable penalties for non-compliance make it ineffective in addressing the urgent threat of climate change.
Nevertheless, the Paris Agreement remains an important global agreement that represents a collective effort to address the challenges of climate change. As more countries work together to meet their commitments under the agreement and pursue more ambitious climate goals, there is hope that meaningful progress can be made toward a sustainable and equitable future.
