Climate Governance for Low-Carbon Development - The Role of the Paris Agreement for shaping the future of climate governance

Strengthening global response to sustainable development and poverty reduction: The Agreement aims to strengthen the global response to the threat of climate change through bottomless reduction of global greenhouse gas emissions, in the context of sustainable development and efforts to eradicate poverty. [...] Principle of equity and the principle of CBDRRC construct the global climate governance architecture: Acknowledging climate change is a common concern of humankind, the Paris Agreement will be implemented to reflect the principle of equity and the principle of common but differentiated responsibilities and respective capabilities (CBDRRC), in the light of different national circumstances. [...] Universal access to sustainable energy: According to the Preamble of the Decision 1/CP.21, the promotion of universal access to sustainable energy in developing countries through the enhanced deployment of renewable energy will be a key focus of the global climate governance. [...] Challenges and Gaps in the Paris Agreement and UNFCCC Negotiations The reluctance of the major emitters for a transition to a low-carbon economy is lengthening the international climate change negotiations: The Paris Agreement, the new architecture for global climate governance, is an outcome of two decades of international climate change negotiations. [...] For example, in the Indian city of Pune, the electricity use of the high-income group is nine times higher than the low-income group and the upper-middle class of South Asia consumes almost the same amount of energy as the middle class in many OECD countries19.