The Paris Agreement, adopted on December 12, 2015, at the 21st Conference of the Parties (COP21) to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) in Paris, France, is a landmark international treaty aimed at combating climate change and limiting global warming. The agreement marks a significant shift in the global approach to climate change, bringing together nations across the world to collectively address the crisis. Unlike its predecessor, the Kyoto Protocol, which set binding targets only for developed countries, the Paris Agreement includes commitments from all countries, regardless of their level of development.

One of the core features of the Paris Agreement is its focus on limiting global temperature rise. The agreement sets a long-term goal to keep the global average temperature rise well below 2°C above pre-industrial levels, with an aim to limit the temperature increase to 1.5°C. This ambitious target is in response to scientific findings that even a 2°C rise could have devastating impacts on ecosystems, economies, and human societies. The 1.5°C target is seen as a critical threshold beyond which the risks of climate change, such as extreme weather events, sea-level rise, and disruptions to food and water security, would become significantly more severe. To achieve this, countries have pledged to take urgent and concerted action to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

The Paris Agreement emphasizes a bottom-up approach to climate action, which means that each country is responsible for determining its own climate goals. This is in stark contrast to previous international agreements that imposed top-down, legally binding emissions reduction targets. Instead, under the Paris Agreement, countries are expected to submit their own "nationally determined contributions" (NDCs), which outline the actions they plan to take to reduce emissions and adapt to the impacts of climate change. These contributions are intended to be updated every five years, with each update expected to reflect more ambitious commitments as countries make progress in addressing the climate crisis.

Another defining feature of the Paris Agreement is its focus on transparency and accountability. Countries are required to report on their emissions, progress toward meeting their NDCs, and the actions they are taking to adapt to climate impacts. This information is subject to a system of international review, ensuring that countries are held accountable for their commitments. The goal is to foster trust among nations and encourage greater ambition over time, while also providing