Getting Specific on the 2015 Climate Change Agreement

The ACT 2015 Consortium proposes a legal framework for the 2015 Paris Agreement that integrates mitigation, adaptation, and support through five-year cycles of continuous improvement. Key recommendations include phasing out greenhouse gas emissions to net zero in the second half of the century, establishing a long-term adaptation goal, and ensuring equity for least developed countries and small island developing States through flexible commitments and targeted financial support.

• The proposed legal text advocates for a holistic approach that links mitigation, adaptation, and support, moving away from a focus solely on mitigation. It specifically calls for a long-term mitigation goal to reach net zero greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions as early as possible in the second half of the 21st century, alongside a long-term adaptation goal to build community resilience through collective global action.
• The consortium suggests implementing three five-year cycles to ensure predictability and continuous improvement in climate action. These cycles require all countries to strengthen nationally determined mitigation commitments, submit statements on adaptation efforts for review by the Adaptation Committee, and review the support package consisting of finance, capacity building, and technology transfer.
• To address equity and different national capabilities, the text proposes that least developed countries and small island developing States receive particular flexibility regarding the stringency and frequency of their mitigation commitments. Additionally, it suggests that half of public finance should be dedicated to adaptation and that developing countries be eligible for support to meet the Agreement's requirements.
• The proposal emphasizes enhanced transparency and accountability through a Monitoring, Reporting, and Verification (MRV) framework covering mitigation, adaptation, and support. It suggests that all Parties should aim to converge on reporting the most robust data in a common format after 2020, with additional support provided to developing countries to enable their participation.
• The suggested text identifies the Warsaw International Mechanism for Loss and Damage associated with Climate Change Impacts as the appropriate platform for enhanced cooperation on loss and damage caused by extreme weather or slow-onset events like sea-level rise.

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} }