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Sun,Dec132015.1108AMIST

LandmarkclimatedealadoptedinParis
Theagreementaimsatkeepingtheriseinglobaltemperaturewellbelow2degreesCelsiusoverpreindustrialtimes
NewDelhi:Afteryearsofdiplomacyandintenseefforts,theworldon
Saturdayfinallyagreedonanewglobalclimatedealtomoveaway
fromfossilfuelstowardsagreenerpath.Thedeal,whichwouldbe
implementedfrom2020,albeitcameonlyafterthedevelopedand
developingworldreachedsomecompromisesovercontentious
issueslikedifferentiationandclimatefinance.
The32pageclimateaccordacceptedbyover190countries,though
withintheUnitedNationsFrameworkConventionforClimateChange
(UNFCCC),isquiteadeviationfromtheprovisionsoftheconvention
itselfasitsidestepslotofharddecisionsmandatedundertheoriginal
UNclimateconventionlikecleardifferentiationbetweendeveloped
anddevelopingcountriesonactionslikeemissionreduction.

FrenchforeignministerandpresidentoftheCOP21Laurent
Fabius(centre)gestureswhileUnitedNationssecretary
generalBanKimoon(left)andFrenchPresidentFrancois
HiollandeapplaudafterthefinalconferenceoftheCOP21
on12December.Photo:AP

Theaccordgivesaclearsignalthatoverperiodoftimedemandfor
fossilfueloil,coalandnaturalgaswillbereduced.Thenatureof
agreementhasalsoalloweddevelopingcountriesandnotjust
developingcountriestotakeemissionreductionactionsunlikein
Kyotoprotocolwhereonlyrichnationswererequiredtodoso.This
wasoneofthemajordemandsofthedevelopedworldtoreinin
developingcountrieslikeChinaandIndia.

Over190countriesgatheredinParison30NovemberfortheConferenceofParties(CoP)21tostrikeconsensusoveranewclimateregime
andtheywereledbynearly150headsofstates.ThefinaldealwassealedonSaturdayeveningintheplenarysessionbycountries.
Eventhoughthesummitwasextendedbyadaythanitsscheduledclosureon11Decemberduetodifferencesbetweennations,aneffective
diplomacybyhostFrancehelpedtheworldavoidpossibilityofalastminutecollapseoftalks.
Theagreementaimsatkeepingtheriseinglobaltemperaturewellbelow2degreesCelsiusoverpreindustrialtimes,whilemakingefforts
tolimititto1.5degreesCelsiusabovepreindustriallevelsbytheendoftheyear2100.
Theagreementalsosetsthedeadlinefornetzeroemissionofgreenhousegasesinthesecondhalfofthepresentcentury.Itisimportantfor
agrowingcountrylikeIndiaasithelpsingivingaclearsignalandinvestmentsecuritytomarketastoinwhichdirectionandsectoritshould
invest.Forinstance,itcoulddrivegreaterinvestmentstowardsthegrowingrenewablesectorinIndia.
ParisAgreementdoesnotputusonthepathtopreventtemperaturerisebelow2degreesCelsiusandthattheactionsofdeveloped
countriesarefarbelowtheirhistoricalresponsibilitiesandfairshares.Whilegiveandtakeisnormalinnegotiations,weareoftheopinion
thattheagreementcouldhavebeenmoreambitious,saidIndiasenvironmentministerPrakashJavadekarwhileacceptingthedealatthe
CoPsplenarysessionlateSaturdaynightandcallingitahistoricday.
WehaveinthespiritofcompromiseagreedonanumberofphrasesintheAgreement.IhopethatPariswillmarkthenewbeginning,where
commitmentsmadewillbefulfilled,addedJavadekar,whowasleadingIndiasdelegationatParis.
Indiasenvironmentministeralsoexpressedhishappinessattheagreementacknowledgingcauseslikeclimatejustice,sustainablelifestyle
andsustainableconsumptionpatternswhichwerechampionedbyIndiasPrimeMinisterNarendraModi.Theagreement,however,hasno
roadmaporplanforachievingsustainablelifestyleandconsumptionindevelopedcountries.
Thedevelopingworld,however,clearlymadeseveralcompromisesonclimatefinanceandissueofdifferentiationbetweenthedeveloped
anddevelopingcountriesinordertostrikeadeal.
Theagreementprovidesforfinanceof$100billionayearby2020fromdevelopedcountriesbutisambiguousandlacksaclearroadmap.It
alsoprovidesforsettinganewcollectivequantifiedgoalfromafloorof$100billionperyearfromtheyear2025.
ButoriginalUNconventiontalkedaboutfactorslikeadequacyoffinanceandfinanceenabledmitigationmeasures.TheParisagreementis
howeverambiguousonthisleavingituncertainthatwhetherdevelopingcountrieswillgetadequatefinanceformitigatingclimatechangeor
not.Itisnowalsonotclearwhethermoneygivenbydevelopedcountriesaspartofbilateralanddevelopmentassistanceandmultilateral
loanstodevelopingcountrieswillbecountedasclimatefinance.Thisweakensstandofdevelopingcountrieswhowantedaclearroadmap
forfinanceandstandardisednormstoaccountforfundstobegivenundertheclimateaccord.
Onissueofdifferentiationwhichsetsapartdevelopinganddevelopedworld,oftencalledsoulofUNsclimateconvention,itwasawinsome
andlosesomesituationforthedevelopingworld.TherewastremendouspressurefromcountrieslikeUSwhowanteddifferentiationtonot
existanymorebutintheenddevelopingcountrieswereabletosuccessfullykeepitintactacrossseveralelements.
Butinthecaseofemissionreductiontargets,thedevelopedworldwasabletogetmoreflexibilityfortheirobligationsthantheyhadunder
theKyotoagreement.
AnotherimportanthighlightoftheParisagreementwaslossanddamageduetoadverseeffectofclimatechange,includingextreme
weatherevents.Thoughtheagreementhasaseparatearticleonlossanddamageitclearlynotesthatagreementdoesnot,involveor
provideabasisforanyliabilityorcompensation.Whilethedevelopingworld,especiallythevulnerableandislandnationswantedliability
andcompensation,thedevelopednationslikeUShadputitsfootdownagainstit.
Thecountieshavealsodecidedtotakestockofprogressachievedcarbonemissionsreducedandfinanceprovidedfirstin2018and
thenin2023.Thestocktakemakesacollectiveassessmentthatwhethertargetsareenoughtomeetclimategoalbutafterstocktake
countriescannotbeforcedtoincreasetheirtargets.Theratchetingupoftargetswouldbeavoluntaryandanationallydeterminedact.
Itis,however,believedthatcountrieswouldhavetoratchetitupunderhugepublicpressureandscrutiny.Theagreementdoesnottalk

aboutanyregulatorormechanismtomonitorstocktake.
Oneoftheothermostimportantdecisionsthatweretakenintheagreementwassettingupofaglobalcarbontradingmechanismaglobal
carbonmarketwhereincountriescantradecarbonemissions.
UNssecretarygeneralBanKiMoon,whowasalsothereattheconference,saidtheParisagreementisamonumentalsuccessforthe
planetanditspeople.Nowwemuststayunitedandbringsamespirit,demonstratedbycountriestillnow,tocrucialtestofimplementation,
hesaid.
FrenchPresidentFrancoisHollandecalledthedealasafirstuniversalagreementinthehistoryofclimatenegotiations.
Experts,however,hadadifferenttake.Somecalleditaweakdealwhileotherscalleditatoothlessdeal.
BennyPeiser,thedirectoroftheGlobalWarmingPolicyForum(GWPF),whichisaLondonbasedenvironmentalthinktank,calleditanon
bindingandtoothlessUNclimateagreement.
Asseasonedobserverspredicted,theParisdealisbasedonavoluntarybasiswhichallowsnationstosettheirownvoluntaryCO2targets
andpolicieswithoutanylegallybindingcapsorinternationaloversight.IncontrasttotheKyotoProtocol,theParisdealremovesalllegal
obligationsforgovernmentstocaporreduceCO2emissions,Peisersaid.
ChandraBhushan,whoisdeputydirectorgeneralofIndiabasedenvironmentalthinktank,theCentreforScienceandEnvironment,noted
that,historicalresponsibilityofAnnex1(developedcountries)countriesiserasedatParisandcountriesactionsarenowonlybasedon
theirrespectivecapabilities.
Withouthistoricalresponsibility,equitynowbeinterpretedthroughrespectivecapabilities&nationalcircumstances.Universalcarbon
markethasbeenagreedatCoP21duetowhichdevelopedcountrieswillcutevenlessemissionsdomestically,Bhushansaid.