The Paris Climate Accords

Also called the Paris Agreement, the Paris Climate Accords are a legally binding international treaty signed by the United Nations on December 12, 2015, which went into effect on November 4, 2016. The goal of the Paris Accords is to substantially reduce greenhouse gas emissions worldwide, with the goal of capping global average temperature increases to well below 2°C above pre-industrial levels. To account for and manage international emissions disparities, the treaty requires each UN nation to submit a climate action plan called a Nationally Determined Contribution once every five years. The goals of the Paris Accords are long-term, and they aim for international carbon neutrality by 2050.