Lesson 26 — Activity 4: The United Nations Climate Change Conference in Paris, France

Warm Up

You learned previously about climate change conferences that were held after the Kyoto Accord was introduced.

In this activity, you will learn about the United Nations Climate Change Conference that was held in Paris, France, in November, 2015.

Representatives from 196 countries came to Paris to once again discuss climate change. On December 12, these representatives all agreed to the first ever global accord in the fight against global warming.

UN and climate change

Creative Commons

What Others Said ...

The president of the United States, Barack Obama, hailed the accord as the "turning point for the world" and the "best chance to save the one planet we've got."

Courtesy of UNclimate change, Wikicommons
The prime minister of Canada, Justin Trudeau, said as he signed the agreement, “Climate change will test our intelligence, our compassion, and our will. But we are equal to that challenge. I encourage other signatories to move swiftly to follow through on their commitments.”

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau

Courtesy of A.K. Fung, Wikicommons

Here are some of the highlights of the agreement:

1. The main goal was to ensure that average global temperatures increase by no more than 2°C (3.6°F) above pre-industrial levels. This is a critical threshold, according to environmentalists, above which the planet could experience irreversible impacts, such as greater sea level rises and widespread plant and animal extinction.

2. All 196 nations agreed to decrease the use of fossil fuels that generate heat-trapping greenhouse gas emissions like methane and carbon dioxide as soon as possible.

3. By 2050, man-made emissions should be reduced to levels that can be absorbed by the world's forests and oceans.

4. The pact allowed each nation to establish a comfortable reduction target and outline a strategy of how they plan to get there.

5. Government officials were asked to review the plan every four years to ensure they are meeting their goals and find ways to decrease emission rates further, if possible.

6. There is no penalty for countries that fail to abide by their self-imposed targets. However, the representatives hoped that the fact that the world will know about their progress will encourage nations to try their best.

7. Wealthy developed nations like the United States committed to giving $100 billion dollars of funding annually by 2020, to assist the poorest and most at-risk countries to deal with the impacts of climate change and to build low-carbon technologies.

The agreement was not all that environmentalists had hoped for. However, they were encouraged that all the representatives were in agreement. Bill McKibben, the co-founder of the international environmental organization 350.org said, "This (the agreement) didn't save the planet. But it may have saved the chance of saving the planet."

Try This!

Answer the following questions regarding the Paris Climate Change Agreement.

1. The representatives agreed that average global temperatures should increase by no more than how many degrees?

2. By what year should man-made emissions be reduced to levels that can be absorbed by the world's forests and oceans?

3. What did wealthy developed nations like the United States commit to giving to assist the poorest and most at-risk countries to deal with the impacts of climate change and to build low-carbon technologies?

Check your answers here:

1. Representatives agreed that average global temperatures should increase by no more than 2°C (3.6°F) above pre-industrial levels.

2. By 2050, man-made emissions should be reduced to levels that can be absorbed by the world's forests and oceans.

3. Wealthy developed nations like the United States committed to giving $100 billion dollars of funding annually by 2020.

Click on the Play button to watch a video of Prime Minister Trudeau's comments upon the signing of the Paris Agreement.