On 12 December 2015, 195 countries adopted the Paris Agreement (“the Agreement”) at the 21st Conference of the Parties (COP 21) of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) in Paris.

The Agreement was the product of eight years of negotiations, starting in Bali in 2008, and including a failed attempt to finalise an agreement in 2009. The impacts of climate change have become increasingly visible over the last years, with extreme weather events from floods to droughts reoccurring more frequently.

The urgency and pressure to finally conclude a meaningful and effective global climate agreement was palpable throughout the meeting in Paris. After overcoming many different hurdles the negotiators came up with a final agreement that could be adopted by consensus. After the official signing ceremony in New York on 22 April 2016, countries now need to present their instruments of ratification, which ensures that the outcomes of the Paris Agreement are embedded in national policy and can be implemented effectively.

Report by the Southern African Catholic Bishops' Conference Parliamentary Liaison Office