A briefing note on COP 21 for the members of the Pan-African Parliament (PAP)

This 2015 briefing note by the International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD) outlines key issues and priorities for the Pan-African Parliament (PAP) ahead of the COP 21 climate conference in Paris. It emphasizes the need for an ambitious, legally binding agreement that addresses the specific vulnerabilities of Africa, ensures equity through the Common But Differentiated Responsibilities (CBDR) principle, and closes significant financial and ambition gaps to limit global warming.

• The Pan-African Parliament (PAP) asserts that climate change poses a severe threat to economic development and prosperity in Africa, particularly affecting the most vulnerable populations. PAP argues that the 2015 agreement must reflect African realities and equity, as the continent's people suffer disproportionately despite contributing the least to the problem.
• There is a significant 'ambition gap' between current pledges and the requirements to prevent dangerous climate interference. While the goal is to limit temperature increases to 2°C (or 1.5°C), early analysis of the Intended Nationally Determined Contributions (INDCs) submitted by 146 countries suggests a projected increase of 2.7–3.5°C.
• PAP emphasizes the Common But Differentiated Responsibilities (CBDR) principle, which assigns greater responsibility for emission reductions to developed countries due to their historic contributions to global emissions. To operationalize this, PAP supports the African Group of Negotiators' proposal for an Equity Reference Framework.
• Adaptation is a critical priority for Africa, and developing countries are calling for it to have 'political parity' with mitigation. Some seek a qualitative global goal for adaptation and a dedicated compensation or insurance mechanism for 'loss and damage' that exceeds adaptive capacity.
• A substantial financial gap exists in climate funding. Developed countries pledged to mobilize 100 billion USD annually by 2020, but developing countries seek assurance that this funding is new, predictable, and additional to existing development aid. The World Economic Forum has estimated that total climate finance needs could reach 5.7 trillion USD per year.
• The legal form of the Paris agreement remains a point of contention. The European Union, small island developing states, and many developing countries prefer a legally binding instrument to ensure commitments are respected, whereas the United States views such a requirement as problematic for ratification.

APA

International Institute for Sustainable Development (2015). A briefing note on COP 21 for the members of the Pan-African Parliament (PAP). https://www.iisd.org/system/files/publications/road-to-paris-pan-african-parliament-information-note-en.pdf

Chicago

International Institute for Sustainable Development. A briefing note on COP 21 for the members of the Pan-African Parliament (PAP). 2015. https://www.iisd.org/system/files/publications/road-to-paris-pan-african-parliament-information-note-en.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=International Institute for Sustainable Development |title=A briefing note on COP 21 for the members of the Pan-African Parliament (PAP) |date=2015 |url=https://www.iisd.org/system/files/publications/road-to-paris-pan-african-parliament-information-note-en.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{internationalinstituteforsustainabledevelopment2015briefing, author = {{International Institute for Sustainable Development}}, title = {{A briefing note on COP 21 for the members of the Pan-African Parliament (PAP)}}, institution = {International Institute for Sustainable Development}, year = {2015}, url = {https://www.iisd.org/system/files/publications/road-to-paris-pan-african-parliament-information-note-en.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }