Key Elements for Success on Climate Change Mitigation at COP21 in Paris
In December 2015, the Government of France will host the 21st Conference of the Parties (COP21) of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) in Paris. The stakes could not be higher. Twenty-three years after the signing of the Framework Convention, greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions are still rising fast, dangerously disrupting the climate system, and posing a grave threat to sustainable development in all countries. This working paper highlights eight key criteria for ensuring that an agreement at the COP21 in Paris avoids highly dangerous climate change. We focus here on mitigation and climate finance required in order to respect the 2°C upper limit. We do underscore, however, that a Paris agreement will need to cover a broader agenda, including adaptation to climate change, technology transfer, accountability, transparency, differentiation, and the appropriate legal form of an agreement.
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