Seizing the Paris Moment

A statement by WRI Climate Director Jennifer Morgan regarding the 21st meeting of the Conference of the Parties (COP21) in Paris, framing it as a critical opportunity for a new form of international cooperation to address climate change and transition to a sustainable economic model.

• COP21, beginning November 30th in Paris, is presented as a transformational opportunity to change the global approach to climate change and ensure a stable, prosperous future, moving away from an unsustainable model characterized by rising costs from air pollution, degraded ecosystems, and climate impacts like sea level rise, storms, and droughts.
• Current momentum is evidenced by more than 160 countries submitting new climate action plans (intended nationally determined contributions or INDCs). WRI analysis indicates that eight of the largest economies among these would collectively double their renewable energy supply.
• Despite progress, the earth has already warmed by 1 degree C. While current plans have reduced the trajectory from a 4 or 5 degree C rise, they are still insufficient to meet the scientific goal of limiting warming to 2 degrees C to avoid the worst impacts.
• The proposed Paris agreement requires three essential components to be effective: clear long-term and short-term signals to catalyze investment and behavior shifts (including a goal to decarbonize the global economy this century and updating plans every five years starting in 2020); a solidarity package providing tools and finance for developing countries; and a global system of transparency and accountability.

APA

Morgan, J. (2015). Seizing the Paris Moment. World Resources Institute. https://www.wri.org/insights/seizing-paris-moment

Chicago

Morgan, Jennifer. Seizing the Paris Moment. World Resources Institute, 2015. https://www.wri.org/insights/seizing-paris-moment.

Wikipedia

{{cite press release |last1=Morgan |first1=Jennifer |title=Seizing the Paris Moment |publisher=World Resources Institute |date=23 November 2015 |url=https://www.wri.org/insights/seizing-paris-moment |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@misc{morgan2015seizing, author = {Morgan, Jennifer}, title = {{Seizing the Paris Moment}}, publisher = {World Resources Institute}, year = {2015}, month = nov, url = {https://www.wri.org/insights/seizing-paris-moment}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }