What is the Paris Agreement?

The Paris Agreement is a legally binding international treaty on climate change adopted by 195 Parties at COP21 in Paris, France, on 12 December 2015. It entered into force on 4 November 2016, after the threshold of ratification by at least 55 Parties covering 55% of global emissions was met in record time. As of January 2026, there are 194 Parties to the Agreement following the US withdrawal.

The Agreement's central aim is to hold the increase in global average temperature to well below 2 degrees C above pre-industrial levels and to pursue efforts to limit the increase to 1.5 degrees C. Unlike the Kyoto Protocol, the Paris Agreement requires all countries — both developed and developing — to submit climate action plans through Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs), updated every five years with increasing ambition through the ratchet mechanism.

The Agreement also established a robust framework for climate finance (with developed countries committing to mobilize $100 billion per year), a transparency framework for reporting emissions and tracking progress, the Global Stocktake for collective assessment every five years, and the Loss and Damage mechanism (operationalized at COP28) to address irreversible climate impacts in vulnerable nations. It represents a fundamental shift from the top-down, differentiated approach of the Kyoto Protocol to a bottom-up, universal framework.

Key Features

# Feature Details
1 Adopted 12 December 2015 at COP21, Paris
2 Entry into force 4 November 2016
3 Temperature goal Well below 2 degrees C; pursue efforts toward 1.5 degrees C
4 NDCs All Parties submit climate action plans every 5 years
5 Ratchet mechanism Each successive NDC must be more ambitious
6 Global Stocktake Every 5 years; first held at COP28 (Dubai, 2023)
7 Climate finance Developed countries to mobilize $100B/year (scaled up at COP29)
8 Loss and Damage Fund operationalized at COP28; initial pledges exceeded $700M
9 Transparency framework Enhanced reporting and review of emissions, actions, and support
10 Net-zero goal Balance between emissions and removals in second half of 21st century
11 Adaptation goal Enhance adaptive capacity, strengthen resilience, reduce vulnerability
12 Current Parties 194 (as of January 2026, post-US withdrawal)

Current Status / Latest Data

  • The US withdrew from the Paris Agreement effective 27 January 2026 following President Trump's executive order of 20 January 2025 — the second US withdrawal (the first was under Trump's first term in 2020, reversed by Biden in 2021).
  • UNEP projects that global temperatures are likely to exceed 1.5 degrees C above pre-industrial levels within the next decade under current trajectories.
  • Only about one-third of countries have submitted updated NDCs; new pledges have "barely moved the needle" on lowering warming projections.
  • COP30 was held in Belem, Brazil (November 2025), concluding with an agreement to triple climate funding for developing nations and advance just energy transition partnerships.
  • The Loss and Damage Fund, operationalized at COP28 (Dubai), received initial pledges exceeding $700 million, with the World Bank serving as interim host.
  • India ratified the Paris Agreement on 2 October 2016 (Gandhi Jayanti) and has consistently advocated for equity, CBDR, and enhanced climate finance in negotiations.
  • The New Collective Quantified Goal (NCQG) on climate finance, agreed at COP29 (Baku, 2024), set a target of $300 billion per year by 2035 from developed to developing countries — replacing the earlier $100B target.
  • The Global Goal on Adaptation (GGA), agreed at COP28, provides a framework for tracking adaptation progress globally for the first time.
  • Article 6 of the Agreement, governing international carbon markets, was operationalized at COP26 (Glasgow, 2021), enabling bilateral carbon credit trading.
  • As of 2026, the world is on track for approximately 2.5–2.9 degrees C warming by 2100 under current policies, far exceeding Paris goals.
  • The Paris Agreement marked its 10th anniversary in December 2025, prompting global assessment of progress and gaps in implementation.

UPSC Exam Corner

Prelims: Key Facts

  • Adopted 12 December 2015 at COP21; entered into force 4 November 2016
  • Temperature goal: well below 2 degrees C, pursue 1.5 degrees C
  • NDCs submitted every 5 years by all Parties (universal, not just developed)
  • Global Stocktake every 5 years (first at COP28, 2023)
  • Loss and Damage Fund operationalized at COP28; pledges exceeded $700M
  • Climate finance: $100B/year commitment by developed countries
  • US withdrawal effective 27 January 2026 (second time)
  • India ratified on 2 October 2016 (Gandhi Jayanti)
  • 194 Parties as of January 2026
  • COP30 held in Belem, Brazil (November 2025)

Mains: Probable Themes

  1. Paris Agreement vs Kyoto Protocol — from top-down differentiation to bottom-up universality
  2. Challenges in achieving the 1.5 degrees C goal given current NDC trajectories and the emissions gap
  3. Climate finance and the North-South divide — equity and burden-sharing under the Paris framework
  4. Impact of repeated US withdrawals on global climate cooperation and Agreement credibility
  5. Loss and Damage mechanism — significance for climate justice and vulnerable nations

Why It Matters for UPSC

The Paris Agreement is arguably the most important climate topic for UPSC. Prelims test adoption year, temperature goals, key mechanisms (NDCs, Global Stocktake, Loss and Damage). Mains requires comparative analysis with Kyoto, assessment of implementation gaps, and India's position on equity and climate finance. The US withdrawal, the 1.5 degrees C overshoot concern, and COP outcomes are recurring themes in both environment and international relations questions.

Sources: UNFCCC — Paris Agreement, United Nations — Paris Agreement, National Security Archive — Paris at 10 Years, NRDC — Paris Climate Agreement