Remarks of Dr. Daniel A. Reifsnyder

Dr. Daniel A. Reifsnyder, former Co-Chair of the Ad Hoc Group on the Durban Platform (ADP), describes the negotiating process and key features of the Paris Agreement on Climate Change. He details the transition from the 2012 Durban decision to the final adoption of the agreement on December 12, 2015, emphasizing the importance of a "Party-driven" process and the role of the October 5 non-paper as a template for the final deal.

• The negotiating process for the Paris Agreement began in 2012 with the establishment of the Ad Hoc Group on the Durban Platform for Enhanced Action (ADP) following a decision at COP-17 in Durban.
• The 'Geneva Negotiating Text' produced in February 2015 served as a comprehensive compilation of views from 196 Parties, expanding 39 pages of elements from the Lima Call for Climate Action into an 86-page document.
• A non-paper produced on October 5, 2015, is identified as the most critical precursor to the final agreement, as it provided a workable template of 26 articles and 9 pages of text that closely mirrored the final structure of the Paris Agreement.
• The Paris Agreement differs from previous negotiations by breaking down the 'firewall' between developed and developing countries, a process that began with the Copenhagen Accord through the recording of mitigation actions from both groups.
• The Paris Agreement includes five primary features: ambition to limit temperature increase to well below 2 degrees C (pursuing 1.5 degrees C), a dual focus on mitigation and adaptation, application to all Parties, a robust transparency system, and support for developing countries through finance, technology, and capacity building.
• The agreement's adoption was supported by an extraordinary level of participation, with nearly 190 Parties submitting Intended Nationally Determined Contributions (INDCs).
• The accompanying decision (Decision 1/CP.21) explicitly recognizes and encourages the role of non-government actors, including the private sector, cities, and subnational authorities, in responding to climate change.

APA

Reifsnyder, D. A. (2016). Remarks of Dr. Daniel A. Reifsnyder. Environmental and Energy Study Institute. https://www.eesi.org/files/Dan_Reifsnyder_021016.pdf

Chicago

Reifsnyder, Daniel A. Remarks of Dr. Daniel A. Reifsnyder. Environmental and Energy Study Institute, 2016. https://www.eesi.org/files/Dan_Reifsnyder_021016.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Reifsnyder |first1=Daniel A. |title=Remarks of Dr. Daniel A. Reifsnyder |publisher=Environmental and Energy Study Institute |date=10 February 2016 |url=https://www.eesi.org/files/Dan_Reifsnyder_021016.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{reifsnyder2016remarks, author = {Reifsnyder, Daniel A.}, title = {{Remarks of Dr. Daniel A. Reifsnyder}}, institution = {Environmental and Energy Study Institute}, year = {2016}, month = feb, url = {https://www.eesi.org/files/Dan_Reifsnyder_021016.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }