International Climate Negotiations to Finalize Agreement in Paris

From November 30 to December 11, 2015, the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) Conference of Parties (COP 21) will convene in Paris, France. The stated objective of COP 21 is to adopt “a protocol, another legal instrument or an agreed outcome with legal force under the Convention applicable to all parties,” which is to come into force in 2020. This article provides a brief history of the UNFCCC negotiations, reviews the commitments from the U.S. and other parties to the Convention, and reviews the key aspects of the upcoming agreement identified by key stakeholders and the draft agreement.