Ten years after the 2015 Paris Agreement, carbon emissions and climate disasters still rise, yet it has sparked a global move toward clean energy, showing that joint global efforts can change climate outcomes.

Background to the Paris Agreement- Evolution of Global Climate Responsibility from Kyoto

• Kyoto Protocol Legacy: Adopted in 1997, the Kyoto Protocol operationalised the 1992 UNFCCC principles of equity and Common but Differentiated Responsibilities (CBDR). 
  • It placed binding emission reduction obligations on developed nations, while developing countries contributed voluntarily based on their capabilities.
• Shift at Paris: However, geopolitical and economic changes—particularly the rise of emerging economies like China—prompted developed countries to push for a universal framework. 
  • The Paris Agreement (2015) replaced Kyoto’s rigid, top-down targets with voluntary, nationally determined actions, ensuring inclusivity but diluting accountability for historical emitters.
• Weakened Differentiation: While Kyoto mandated clear responsibilities for industrialised nations, the Paris model asked all countries to act according to “nationally determined” ambitions, effectively freeing developed nations from stringent emission-cutting obligations.
• Resulting Gaps: This shift, though politically pragmatic, led to minimal ambition by several nations. With many only meeting baseline commitments, global action now falls short of what’s required to contain warming within 1.5°C.

About the Paris Accord

• Legal Foundation: A legally binding treaty adopted by 195 Parties at COP21 (Paris, 2015) and in force since 4 November 2016, with ratifications tracked by the UN Treaty Depositary under the UN Secretary-General.
• Core Temperature Goal: Seeks to limit global warming well below 2°C and pursue 1.5°C, as breaching this threshold risks severe droughts, heatwaves, and floods.
• Scientific Urgency: The IPCC warns that to stay below 1.5°C, emissions must peak before 2025 and decline 43% by 2030, demanding immediate action.
• Universal Participation: For the first time, all countries agreed to a common legal framework for mitigation and adaptation, balancing global ambition with national flexibility.
• Operational Cycle (NDC Framework): Works on a five-year ratchet cycle where nations submit Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) with progressively higher targets guided by science.
• Long-Term Strategies (LT-LEDS): Encourages nations to adopt long-term low-emission strategies linking short-term NDCs with sustainable and net-zero goals.
• Support Architecture: Provides for finance, technology, and capacity-building, with developed nations funding mitigation and developing nations receiving support for resilience.
• Transparency and Global Stocktake: Through the Enhanced Transparency Framework (ETF), countries report progress from 2024, feeding into a five-year Global Stocktake to assess and raise collective ambition.

Achievements in a Decade

• Bending the Warming Curve: The projected global warming trajectory has declined from 4–5°C in 2015 to around 2–3°C in 2025, proving that international cooperation and policy alignment can influence global climate pathways.
• Renewable Revolution: The cost of solar and wind power has dropped by nearly 80%, making renewable energy cheaper than fossil fuels across most economies (IRENA 2024).
• Rise of Net-Zero Commitments: Over 140 countries have announced Net Zero targets, integrating climate goals into long-term national development agendas.
• Electric Mobility Boom: Electric Vehicles now constitute nearly 20% of global new car sales, driven by advancements in battery technology and declining costs of energy storage systems.
• Global Investment Shift: Annual investment in clean energy technologies has crossed $1 trillion, signaling a historic transformation in the global economic and industrial landscape.

Major Achievements of the Paris Agreement and COP Meetings (2015–2025)

Significance of the Paris Agreement

• Multilateral Breakthrough: The accord is the first legally binding, universal framework bringing all Parties together under a shared scientific and moral obligation.
• Equity and Differentiation: It operationalises Common but Differentiated Responsibilities (CBDR), allowing flexibility for national contexts while ensuring global accountability.
• Economic and Social Transformation: Implementation demands deep economic and social restructuring, stimulating innovation, green jobs and sustainable infrastructure.
• Institutional Advancements: Mechanisms such as the Green Climate Fund, Loss and Damage Fund, and Technology Mechanism strengthen global solidarity and transparency.
• Evidence of Market Shift: Zero-carbon solutions are now cost-competitive across sectors covering 25 % of global emissions, expected to expand to 70% by 2030, showing irreversible momentum.

Evolving Challenges to the Paris Agreement

• Warming Overshoot and Weak Implementation: Global emissions remain on a 2.7°C trajectory, exceeding the Paris 1.5°C limit, as many nations delay updating or meeting their NDCs, reflecting the absence of binding compliance mechanisms and weakening global decarbonisation efforts.
• Finance Deficit and Diluted Commitments: Developing nations require around $6 trillion annually till 2030, yet finance flows remain inadequate.
  • The Baku Deal (2025) raised the long-standing $100 billion target to only $300 billion from 2035, while disputes under the NCQG over fund sources, contributors, and grant–loan balance stalled climate finance reform.
• Inequitable Burden and Erosion of Trust: The Global South—especially South Asia, Africa, and small island nations—faces the worst climate losses despite minimal emissions, while developed countries’ efforts to dilute historical responsibility and the possibility of another U.S. withdrawal deepen mistrust in multilateral mechanisms.
• Technical and Institutional Bottlenecks: Unresolved issues under Article 6 on Corresponding Adjustments and Share of Proceeds block carbon market operations; the Global Goal on Adaptation lacks measurable indicators; and weak transparency frameworks hinder accountability and effective progress assessment.
• Geo-Economic and Trade Frictions: The EU’s CBAM imposes carbon tariffs acting as non-tariff barriers for developing nations; the U.S. Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) has triggered a green subsidy race, prompting India’s PLI schemes.
  • Also the competition for critical minerals like lithium, cobalt, and nickel has reshaped global resource geopolitics.
• Domestic Transition and Fiscal Strain (India): India faces dual challenges of ensuring a just transition in coal-dependent regions and addressing hard-to-abate sectors like steel and cement, as high costs of Carbon Capture, Utilisation and Storage (CCUS) and Green Hydrogen, along with limited fiscal space, demand green budgeting, carbon pricing, and innovative financing such as green bonds.
• Legal, Ethical, and Information Challenges: The Vanuatu-led UNGA resolution (2024) seeking an ICJ advisory opinion links climate obligations to human rights and intergenerational justice, while widespread climate misinformation and politicisation of science erode evidence-based policymaking and global consensus.

Differing Perspectives of Developed, Developing, and Least-Developed Countries on the Paris Agreement

India’s Milestones and Role

• Accelerated Renewable Capacity: India achieved 50% of installed power capacity from non-fossil sources, five years ahead of its 2030 goal, showcasing its leadership in green transition.
• Net Zero Commitment: India has pledged to achieve Net Zero by 2070, aligning with the vision of a low-carbon Viksit Bharat (Developed India) by 2047.
• International Solar Alliance (ISA): Co-founded with France at COP21, the ISA now has 120+ members, empowering developing nations with solar technology, finance, and capacity-building support.
• Disaster-Resilient Infrastructure: Through the Coalition for Disaster Resilient Infrastructure (CDRI), India leads global efforts in climate adaptation and resilient infrastructure planning.
• Policy Innovations: National missions such as the Green Hydrogen Mission, PM-KUSUM Scheme, and Battery Energy Storage Mission reflect India’s balanced strategy of economic growth and climate responsibility.

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Way Forward

• Integrating Adaptation in Policy: Embed climate resilience into national budgets, urban design, and disaster management frameworks.
• Technology Cooperation: Expand joint R&D in green hydrogen, EVs, and carbon capture technologies through global partnerships.
• Accessible Climate Finance: Reform mechanisms to make funding simpler, faster, and equitable for developing economies.
• South–South Collaboration: Strengthen alliances like ISA, CDRI, and the Global Biofuels Alliance to share technology and capacity.
• Nature-Based Solutions: Promote ecosystem restoration, afforestation, and sustainable agriculture as dual tools for mitigation and livelihood resilience.

Conclusion

The Paris Agreement remains humanity’s strongest collective effort to fight climate change. Though challenges persist, the low-carbon transition is irreversible, powered by innovation, solidarity, and global climate consciousness.

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