Paris Agreement: a global milestone for climate sustainability

Understand how the Paris Agreement shapes the future of global climate action

The environment is the foundation of life on Earth. It provides the natural resources essential for human survival, such as water, air, food, raw materials, and energy, while harboring vast biodiversity that supports the balance of ecosystems.

In this context, environmental conservation is a fundamental pillar for public health, food security, economic development, and the well-being of present and future generations.

Meeting the goals of the Paris Agreement — which aim to limit global warming and address the impacts of climate change — depends directly on the protection of ecosystems and the sustainable use of natural resources.

Thus, environmental preservation is an ecological concern and a key strategy to ensure a viable and resilient future for all humanity.

What is the Paris Agreement?

The Paris Agreement is an international treaty adopted in 2015 during the 21^st United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP21). Its central goal is to limit the rise in global average temperature to well below 2°C above pre-industrial levels, while pursuing efforts to restrict warming to 1.5°C.

This commitment marks a historic milestone in global cooperation against climate change, bringing countries together around shared goals to reduce emissions and build a more sustainable future.

Climate Commitments: National Targets and Global Responsibility

Under the Paris Agreement, each signatory country commits to setting its own climate goals, known as Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs).

These targets represent national efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, adapt to the impacts of climate change, and promote sustainable development.

NDCs must be updated every five years, with each new version expected to demonstrate progress compared to the previous one. This progressive approach, known as the “ratchet mechanism” or “mechanism of increasing ambition,” is one of the pillars of the Agreement.

Although the treaty does not impose legal sanctions on countries that fail to meet their targets, it relies on two key principles: transparency and international pressure. Countries are required to report their progress regularly, enabling public monitoring and reinforcing collective accountability.

The Agreement also encourages technical and financial support for developing countries, acknowledging historical inequalities in emissions and climate response capacity.

In this sense, the effective implementation of NDCs is essential for the world to have a real chance of keeping global warming within the agreed limits.

Climate Justice and International Financing

The Paris Agreement embeds the principle of climate justice by acknowledging that the impacts of climate change are not distributed equally across countries.

Developing nations—often the least responsible for greenhouse‑gas emissions—are also the most vulnerable to their effects (droughts, floods, biodiversity loss, and food insecurity).

Recognizing this disparity, the Agreement states that developed countries have a responsibility to lead the mobilization of financial resources, technology, and capacity‑building to support climate action in developing nations.

A central pledge is to mobilize US $100 billion per year by 2025—from both public and private sources—to finance climate mitigation and adaptation, especially in vulnerable countries, despite existing challenges.

Beyond direct financial support, the Paris Agreement promotes strengthening mechanisms such as the Green Climate Fund and encourages the creation of low‑carbon, climate‑resilient development strategies.

The Agreement also calls for enhanced international cooperation on clean‑technology transfer, local capacity building, and access to climate data.

Climate justice is therefore a structural prerequisite for the success of the Paris Agreement: without inclusion, equity, and global solidarity, mitigation and adaptation efforts lose both their effectiveness and their legitimacy.

Brazil’s Role in the Paris Agreement

Brazil holds a strategic position in the fight against climate change and plays a crucial role in the successful implementation of the Paris Agreement.

In its Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs), the country committed to restoring 12 million hectares of forests by 2030, eliminating illegal deforestation, expanding the use of renewable energy, and reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 50% by 2030.

These commitments reflect Brazil’s potential to lead a global, fair, and sustainable transition. The country harbors the greatest biodiversity on the planet and boasts one of the cleanest energy matrices in the world.

Examples of Brazil’s clean energy sources include hydropower, wind, solar energy, and the use of advanced biofuels.

Additionally, Brazil is a global reference in agricultural technologies that store carbon in the soil, such as no-till farming, crop-livestock-forest integration (ILPF), and biological nitrogen fixation.

Despite these advantages, recent reports indicate that the country still faces serious challenges in reaching its targets, especially regarding deforestation in the Amazon and the implementation of environmental policies.

Furthermore, weak environmental governance, lack of consistent investment, and changes in regulatory frameworks have slowed the progress needed.

However, there are positive signs. The strengthening of environmental institutions, the expansion of protected areas, and international cooperation have reopened pathways for Brazil to reclaim a leadership position in global climate action.

In this sense, Brazil is an environmental powerhouse with the potential to turn climate goals into real opportunities for sustainable development and social inclusion.

Energy Transition and the Carbon Market

The transition to a low-carbon economy is one of the pillars of the Paris Agreement. It involves gradually replacing fossil fuels with renewable energy sources (such as solar, wind, biomass, and hydropower).

It also aims to promote energy efficiency across all productive sectors. Therefore, this transition requires a reorganization of economic models, consumption patterns, and financing systems.

Another essential instrument to enable this transition is the creation of regulated carbon markets—systems established by governments that set limits on greenhouse gas emissions, allowing companies to buy and sell credits to meet their targets.

This compensation logic creates real economic incentives for forest preservation, the adoption of renewable energy, and sustainable practices.

Article 6 of the Paris Agreement lays the foundation for this international mechanism of voluntary carbon credit exchange, although the regulatory details were especially defined at COP26.

These markets must be transparent, avoid double counting of emissions, and ensure additional social and environmental benefits.

In Brazil’s case, the country holds significant potential in this area, thanks to one of the cleanest energy matrices in the world and its ability to generate forest- and agriculture-based carbon credits.

These goals can be achieved through programs such as the Recovery of Degraded Areas, preservation of the Amazon, and regenerative agriculture practices.

The regulation of a national carbon market, currently under debate in Congress, could position Brazil as one of the world’s major suppliers of certified and trustworthy credits.

In short, the energy transition and the carbon market are not merely technical tools — they are engines of structural transformation, capable of aligning economic growth with climate responsibility.

Progress and Challenges of Global Implementation

Since its adoption, the Paris Agreement has been ratified by over 190 countries, establishing itself as the largest international climate pact in history.

This commitment represents an unprecedented diplomatic achievement, reflecting a global consensus on the urgent need for collective action against climate change.

Many countries have implemented public policies for decarbonization, energy transition, and climate adaptation.

Examples include the expansion of solar energy in countries like India and China, the European “Green Deal,” and the updated national commitments submitted by several countries during recent Conferences of the Parties (COPs).

However, implementation challenges remain significant. The fulfillment of Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) is still uneven, and many countries are not on track to meet their targets.

According to IPCC and UNEP Emissions Gap reports, global greenhouse gas emissions remain high, putting the 1.5°C warming limit at risk — the threshold considered necessary to avoid catastrophic climate impacts.

Another critical challenge is the climate finance gap, especially for developing countries that have fewer resources to adapt their economies and protect their populations.

Although the Paris Agreement included a pledge by developed countries to mobilize US$100 billion annually, this goal has yet to be fully achieved or distributed equitably.

Effective implementation of the Agreement requires coordinated, transparent, and inclusive action — including continuous monitoring, periodic review of national targets, and technical cooperation among countries.

Moreover, the engagement of businesses, cities, and local communities is essential to advancing toward a safe and just climate future.

Therefore, the success of the Paris Agreement goes beyond diplomacy — it depends on the global capacity to turn commitments into concrete actions, guided by science, equity, and urgency.

How Does the Paris Agreement Affect You?

Although it may seem like a treaty between governments, the Paris Agreement has direct effects on people’s lives — including yours.

The climate targets adopted by signatory countries influence public and economic policies that shape how we move, produce food, consume energy, and manage waste.

For example, measures such as tax incentives for electric vehicles, restrictions on fossil fuel use, subsidies for residential solar energy, and regulations on packaging and ultra-processed foods are driven by commitments made under the Agreement.

In agriculture, the impacts range from support for agroecological production to the promotion of regenerative practices that conserve soil and reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
In cities, the Agreement influences the adoption of green infrastructure, cleaner public transportation, and energy efficiency policies in both public and private buildings.

Ultimately, the Paris Agreement is a call for collective transformation — one that begins with informed and responsible individual actions.

After all, protecting the climate also means ensuring quality of life, health, and safety for future generations.

References: 

BRASIL. Ministério do Meio Ambiente. Acordo de Paris. Disponível em: https://antigo.mma.gov.br/clima/convencao-das-nacoes-unidas/acordo-de-paris.html. Acesso em: 16 jun. 2025.

BRASIL. Comitê Organizador da COP30. Contribuições Nacionalmente Determinadas (NDCs). Disponível em: https://cop30.br/pt-br/sobre-a-cop30/contribuicoes-nacionalmente-determinadas-ndcs. Acesso em: 12 jun. 2025.

UNEP. Emissions Gap Report 2024. Disponível em: https://www.unep.org/resources/emissions-gap-report-2024. Acesso em: 16 jun. 2025.

WRI BRASIL. Mudanças climáticas alarmantes: veja 5 grandes resultados do relatório do IPCC. Disponível em: https://www.wribrasil.org.br/noticias/mudancas-climaticas-alarmantes-veja-5-grandes-resultados-do-relatorio-do-ipcc. Acesso em: 16 jun. 2025.