Getting Specific on the 2015 Climate Change Agreement

The World Resources Institute presents a set of suggestions for the legal text of the 2015 Paris Agreement, developed by the Agreement for Climate Transformation (ACT) Consortium. The proposal advocates for a holistic approach linking mitigation, adaptation, and support through five-year cycles of continuous improvement and a long-term goal of net-zero greenhouse gas emissions.

• The ACT Consortium proposes a long-term mitigation goal to phase out all greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions to net zero as early as possible in the second half of the 21st century. This is paired with a long-term adaptation goal to build community resilience and reduce vulnerability through collective global action, both based on "common but differentiated responsibilities and respective capabilities, in light of different national circumstances."
• The suggested legal text introduces three five-year cycles to ensure predictability and continuous improvement in mitigation, adaptation, and support. Mitigation commitments would be informed by an independent expert panel; adaptation efforts would be reviewed by the Adaptation Committee with National Adaptation Plans considering temperature increases of 2°C, 3°C, or 4°C; and the support package (finance, capacity building, and technology transfer) would undergo reviews every five years.
• To address equity, the proposal suggests that least developed countries and small island developing States receive particular flexibility regarding the frequency, type, form, stringency, and scope of their mitigation commitments. Additionally, it proposes that half of public finance be focused on adaptation and that developing countries be eligible for support to fulfill Agreement requirements.
• The proposal recommends using the Warsaw International Mechanism for Loss and Damage associated with Climate Change Impacts as the platform for enhanced cooperation on loss and damage under the 2015 Agreement, with work to be accelerated and reviewed starting in 2016.
• The suggested text calls for enhanced transparency and accountability through Monitoring, Reporting, and Verification (MRV) provisions covering mitigation, adaptation, and support. It aims for all Parties to converge toward reporting the most robust and transparent data in a common format after 2020, supported by a facilitative implementation mechanism for countries needing additional action.

APA

Arias, G., Amin, A.-L., Dagnet, Y., Elliott, C., Garibaldi, J. A., Gallagher, L., Guiao, T., McGray, H., Northrop, E., Puno, R., Roessing, E., Thwaites, J., Tirpak, D., & Waskow, D. (n.d.). Getting Specific on the 2015 Climate Change Agreement. World Resources Institute. https://www.wri.org/research/getting-specific-2015-climate-change-agreement

Chicago

Arias, Gilberto, Amal-Lee Amin, Yamide Dagnet, Cynthia Elliott, Jose Alberto Garibaldi, Liz Gallagher, Therese Guiao, et al. Getting Specific on the 2015 Climate Change Agreement. World Resources Institute, n.d. https://www.wri.org/research/getting-specific-2015-climate-change-agreement.

Wikipedia

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BibTeX

@techreport{ariasndgetting, author = {Arias, Gilberto and Amin, Amal-Lee and Dagnet, Yamide and Elliott, Cynthia and Garibaldi, Jose Alberto and Gallagher, Liz and Guiao, Therese and McGray, Heather and Northrop, Eliza and Puno, Railla and Roessing, Ernesto and Thwaites, Joe and Tirpak, Dennis and Waskow, David}, title = {{Getting Specific on the 2015 Climate Change Agreement}}, institution = {World Resources Institute}, url = {https://www.wri.org/research/getting-specific-2015-climate-change-agreement}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }