The Paris Agreement: A New Step in the Gradual Evolution of Differential Treatment in the Climate Regime?

Abstract

International audienceAmong international environmental agreements, the early climate regime gave the best illustration of the principle of common but differentiated responsibilities. The principle has been frequently invoked in the delicate negotiations on the future climate regime, and its role has gradually evolved. The 2010 Cancún Agreements promoted a type of self-differentiation which tended to blur the distinction between developing and developed countries. In the post-2020 negotiations, the notion of intended nationally determined contributions to be communicated by each party took this approach further. However, differentiation was still at the core of discussions. The Paris Agreement represents a fine balance between the requirements of differentiation and ambition. Differentiation has grown both in flexibility and adaptability. The agreement marks a decisive step forward in the gradual blurring of country categories, and better takes into account diverse national circumstances, capabilities and vulnerabilities, all of which are by their very nature changing over time

From Kyoto to Paris and Beyond: The Emerging Politics of Climate Change

“…The self-differentiation mechanism, introduced through NDCs, further adds nuance to the interpretation of CBDR-RC within the Paris text. Maljean-Dubois (2016, p. 157) argues that ‘self-determination means no more differentiation for developing countries as a single group. But it results in more not less differentiation, as it allows for each country to be treated differently’.…”

“…The intended nationally determined contributions (INDCs) were introduced through the ADP with a purpose of bottom-up consensus building for the post-Kyoto phase of negotiations. It is important to point out that the INDCs were one of the many proposals that were tabled before Paris COP meeting, such as concentric differentiation (2014) and equity reference framework (CAN, 2014), and the final approval for the INDCs-based approach rested critically on a shared understanding of equitable burden sharing, which included a broad range of issues such as financial and technological transfer, L&D, and transparency and global stocktake mechanism (Maljean-Dubois, 2016). Apart from the Preamble and the article 2.2 of the Paris text, which make a direct reference to the principle of equity and CBDR-RC, there are other subtle references to equity within the text such as article 4.1, which refers to the process of decarbonisation through sinks and sources, ‘on the basis of equity’, and the article 13.1, which outlines the enhanced transparency framework, with built-in flexibility which takes into account Parties’ different capacities (UNFCCC, 2015).…”

SDG 13 and the entwining of climate and sustainability metagovernance: an archaeological–genealogical analysis of goals-based climate governance

“…In their NDC, each nation would detail their planned level of emissions reductions and associated implementation strategy, developed “in the context of […] achieving the objective of the Convention as set out in its Article 2” (UNFCCC, 2014, p. 4). In contrast to the centrally determined interim targets of the Kyoto Protocol, allowing nations to formulate their own targets and plans was a move to respect national sovereignty (Maljean-Dubois, 2016, p. 155). The core requirement on nations is that they communicate these to the UNFCCC as part of a pledge and review system.…”

Wpływ Porozumienia paryskiego na zmianę polityki klimatyczno-energetycznej Unii Europejskiej i unijnych regulacji prawnych w tym zakresie

“…Porozumienie jest wyrazem dążeń do intensyfikacji globalnej odpowiedzi na zagrożenie związane ze zmianami klimatu, zakłada więc konieczność utrzymania, dzięki globalnemu, solidarnemu wysiłkowi wszystkich państw, wzrostu średnich temperatur na poziomie znacznie poniżej 2°C ponad poziom przedindustrialny i kontynuowania wysiłków na rzecz ograniczenia wzrostu temperatur do 1,5°C 25 . Wyznaczony cel ma zostać osiągnięty zgodnie z zasadą równości i przy założeniu wspólnej, choć zróżnicowanej odpowiedzialności i według możliwości każdego państwa strony, w zależności od kontekstu narodowego 26 . W Porozumieniu podkreślono konieczność uwzględniania w wysiłkach na rzecz ochrony klimatu "specyfiki" poszczególnych państw.…”