Yes, there is a broad consensus in the scientific community, although some deny that climate change is a problem, including politicians in the United States. When negotiating teams come together for international climate negotiations, there is “less skepticism about science and more disagreement about how to set priorities,” says David Victor, a professor of international relations at the University of California, San Diego. The basic science is this: these two issues need to be addressed politically. If self-differentiation is compatible with subtle differentiation, the CbdR-RC compromise of the Paris Agreement would be operationalized and NDCs could fulfill their role as lead ships to implement the Paris Agreement. Therefore, we recommend that developed countries include in their NDCs their planned support to developing countries for the implementation of NDCs (Pauw et al. (2018); UN-OHLLRS (2019); UNESCO (2018); UNFCCC (2019); UNFCCC (2014); UNFCCC (2013); UNFCCC (1997); United Nations (1992)). “We have the technology and knowledge to reduce these emissions, but what is missing are strong guidelines and regulations to get there,” Watson said in an interview. “Right now, the world is on a path between 3 and 4 degrees C (5.5 and 7F) by the end of the century.” Current policies would lead to an increase of nearly 3°C by 2100, according to a tracker by German nonprofits Climate Analytics and NewClimate Institute. If governments meet their previous commitments under the Paris Agreement, it will still result in an increase of 2.7°C. Developing countries claim that developed countries have emitted more greenhouse gases over time.

They say these developed countries should now bear a greater share of the burden because they have been able to grow their economies without restrictions. In fact, the United States has emitted the most ever, followed by the European Union. Second, the Paris Agreement introduces limited self-de-allocation of countries` responsibilities through their national climate action plans, known as Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs). These climate plans are universal (i.e. each country formulates one), bottom-up (i.e. countries set their own priorities and ambitions) (Mbeva and Pauw, 2016) and “contributions” rather than the more stringent “commitments” commonly used in international treaties (Rajamani, 2015). Self-start is limited by the terms “progression” and “highest possible ambition” to which NDCs must adhere (Voigt and Ferreira, 2016). In order to differentiate procedures, LDCs and SIDS benefit from flexibility in the development of mitigation measures (Article 4, paragraph 6); particularly vulnerable countries receive part of the revenues from the mitigation mechanism to cover adjustment costs (Article 6(6)); and undeveloped “other Parties” that provide financial support are encouraged to notify (Article 9,5 and (7)). Du Pont YR, Jeffery ML, Gütschow J, Rogelj J, Christoff P, Meinshausen M (2017) Just mitigation to achieve the goals of the Paris Agreement.

Nat Clim Change 7(1):38 Montreal Protocol, 1987. Although the Montreal Protocol [PDF] was not designed to combat climate change, it was a historic environmental agreement that has become a model for future diplomacy on the issue. All countries in the world eventually ratified the treaty, which required them to stop producing substances that damage the ozone layer, such as chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs). The Protocol has succeeded in eliminating almost 99 per cent of these ozone-depleting substances. In 2016, the parties agreed, through the Kigali Amendment, to also reduce their production of hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs), powerful greenhouse gases that contribute to climate change. First, it follows a more nuanced and dynamic interpretation of CBDR-RC. The Paris Agreement distinguishes between “developed” and “developed” countries instead of Annex I and non-Annex I countries. This allows developing countries to increase their ambitions over time without officially “graduating” to Appendix I (Voigt and Ferreira, 2016).

This is also reflected in the addition of the phrase “in light of national realities” to the term CBDR-RC through the Paris Agreement: as countries` circumstances evolve, their common but differentiated responsibilities will also evolve (Rajamani, 2016). .