Unpacking Article 2.1(c): Conceptual and Political Dimensions

The paper examines the conceptual and political challenges of implementing Article 2.1(c) of the Paris Agreement, highlighting diverging interpretations of its scope and the systemic barriers facing developing countries. It proposes a working definition that encompasses all financial flows and integrates equity and national circumstances to support future progress assessments, starting with a framework to be applied in Germany.

• Article 2.1(c) is subject to three primary diverging interpretations: as an obligation linked to Article 9 focusing on finance for developing countries, as a broad transformation goal covering all public and private financial flows, or as a complementary element working in synergy with mitigation and adaptation goals in Articles 2.1(a) and (b).
• There are significant conceptual disagreements regarding the meaning of "consistency" and "pathway," specifically whether these should align with 1.5°C mitigation targets, national priorities, or a combination of both.
• While Article 2.1(c) applies to all financial flows, current assessment and policy efforts are limited to a narrow subset, omitting trade-related finance and informal flows.
• Developing countries face systemic barriers to implementing Article 2.1(c), including high capital costs, limited fiscal space, and debt burdens, necessitating reform of the global financial architecture.
• The paper proposes a working definition of Article 2.1(c) that includes all financial flows and incorporates national circumstances and equity principles, which will be used in a country-level assessment framework first applied in Germany.

APA

NewClimate Institute (2025). Unpacking Article 2.1(c): Conceptual and Political Dimensions. http://www.newclimate.org/resources/publications/discussion-paper-unpacking-article-21c-conceptual-and-political-dimensions

Chicago

NewClimate Institute. Unpacking Article 2.1(c): Conceptual and Political Dimensions. 2025. http://www.newclimate.org/resources/publications/discussion-paper-unpacking-article-21c-conceptual-and-political-dimensions.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=NewClimate Institute |title=Unpacking Article 2.1(c): Conceptual and Political Dimensions |date=23 October 2025 |url=http://www.newclimate.org/resources/publications/discussion-paper-unpacking-article-21c-conceptual-and-political-dimensions |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{newclimateinstitute2025unpacking, author = {{NewClimate Institute}}, title = {{Unpacking Article 2.1(c): Conceptual and Political Dimensions}}, institution = {NewClimate Institute}, year = {2025}, month = oct, url = {http://www.newclimate.org/resources/publications/discussion-paper-unpacking-article-21c-conceptual-and-political-dimensions}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }