The world is in a climate crisis. Despite years of negotiations, promises, and incremental progress, global temperatures are still rising, carbon emissions are still climbing, and the impacts of climate change are becoming more devastating by the day. The Paris Agreement, hailed as a landmark achievement in 2015, remains the cornerstone of international climate diplomacy. But as the crisis deepens and the urgency grows, it's becoming painfully clear that the Paris Accord, while a crucial first step, is no longer enough. It's time to look beyond the Paris Accord and rethink our approach to addressing the climate emergency.
The Paris Agreement was a historic moment in climate diplomacy. It brought nations together under the banner of a common goal-limiting global warming to well below 2°C, with efforts to keep it below 1.5°C. The agreement's bottom-up approach, where countries voluntarily set their own emission reduction targets (known as Nationally Determined Contributions, or NDCs), was groundbreaking in terms of inclusivity. For the first time, every country, regardless of size or wealth, was asked to take action on climate change.
However, as time has passed, the framework's limitations have become starkly apparent. The first problem is the fundamental nature of the Paris Agreement itself. While it may have been an optimistic and inclusive starting point, the reliance on voluntary commitments from individual countries has proven to be inadequate. The agreement's structure lacks a clear enforcement mechanism-countries set their own targets, but there are no binding obligations to ensure they meet them. As a result, global emissions are still on an upward trajectory. According to the UN, current NDCs are insufficient to meet the 1.5°C goal, with a "gaping emissions gap" between what is promised and what is needed.
This gap is exacerbated by the sheer pace of climate change itself. Extreme weather events, sea-level rise, biodiversity loss, and economic disruptions are accelerating. The world needs rapid, transformative action-but the Paris framework, with its five-year review cycles and voluntary pledges, has not delivered that speed. The clock is ticking, and waiting for the next round of national commitments isn't enough.
One of the main reasons the Paris Agreement is faltering is its lack of legal accountability. While countries pledged to work toward emissions reductions, there is little recourse if they fail to deliver. The Paris framework is based on goodwill, with countries agreeing to strengthen their commitments over time. However, in practice, this goodwill has not always materialized into meaningful action.
What's needed now is a binding global treaty with clear enforcement mechanisms. A legally binding climate agreement would not only ensure that countries meet their obligations but also impose consequences for non-compliance. Rather than relying on voluntary self-reporting, there should be independent monitoring, transparent reporting, and consequences for nations that fail to meet their targets. For example, countries that miss their carbon reduction goals could face trade sanctions, loss of access to climate finance, or exclusion from international climate cooperation. Only by holding nations accountable we can step up to the challenge.
At the same time, we must acknowledge the historical and ongoing inequalities in global emissions. The Paris Agreement recognizes the principle of "common but differentiated responsibilities" (CBDR), acknowledging that developed nations have historically contributed more to climate change and should therefore bear a greater share of the burden. But the current system still falls short of addressing these inequities. A new framework could prioritize climate justice, ensuring that developing nations-who are often the most vulnerable to the effects of climate change-receive the financial and technological support they need to adapt and mitigate the impact of global warming.
While national governments continue to play a vital role in the climate fight, real progress is increasingly being made at the sub-national and sectoral levels. Cities, states, businesses, and communities have long been at the forefront of climate innovation. In the absence of binding global action, local and regional leaders have stepped up, setting ambitious goals and implementing tangible solutions. Many cities have committed to ambitious carbon neutrality targets, often outpacing national commitments.
The private sector, too, is beginning to take on a larger role. With increasing pressure from consumers, investors, and shareholders, companies are adopting green technologies, transitioning to renewable energy, and committing to net-zero emissions. Corporations, particularly multinational giants, have the capacity to drive significant change in global supply chains, energy consumption, and production practices. The finance sector, too, is increasingly aligning itself with climate goals, with a growing focus on green bonds, sustainable investing, and carbon pricing.
This decentralised approach to climate action-where cities, businesses, and individuals lead the charge-has the potential to accelerate progress far faster than what national governments can achieve through global frameworks alone. While the Paris Agreement can provide a backdrop, it is increasingly clear that the global framework needs to evolve into a model that supports and scales these bottom-up efforts. It should empower cities, states, and businesses to take bolder actions while encouraging them to adopt global standards and best practices.
A new approach to climate action must also reinvigorate the financial commitments made under the Paris Agreement. The promise of $100 billion per year in climate finance for developing countries remains unmet, and the ongoing climate crisis is a reminder of the need for more equitable financial support. A future framework should ensure that financial assistance is both predictable and sufficient to help developing countries transition to clean energy, build climate resilience, and address loss and damage from climate impacts.
This commitment to financing must go beyond just climate adaptation and mitigation. We need to create mechanisms for technology transfer and knowledge-sharing, allowing developing countries to leapfrog carbon-intensive development pathways and adopt cleaner technologies. The global community must invest heavily in research and development of new climate technologies-clean hydrogen, carbon capture, and advanced renewable energy solutions-that can help all nations transition to a low-carbon future. By fostering global cooperation and sharing technological innovations, we can catalyse a wave of climate action that transcends national borders and accelerates the shift toward a sustainable global economy.
The climate crisis is a systemic problem that requires a global reimagining of how we live, consume, and produce. Looking beyond the Paris Agreement also means looking beyond traditional frameworks of climate governance. We need to align climate policy with broader economic, social, and environmental goals. This means integrating climate action into trade agreements, international labour standards, and global financial systems. It means placing environmental sustainability at the heart of global economic policies, ensuring that climate action is not seen as a cost but as an opportunity for growth, innovation, and equity.
It also means recognising the need for a just transition. Workers in fossil fuel industries must not be left behind in the shift to a green economy; they must be retrained and supported in their transition to green jobs. The climate movement must ensure that those who have borne the brunt of climate change-vulnerable communities, Indigenous peoples, and low-income nations-are part of the solutions. A future climate framework must be inclusive, just, and equitable.
The Paris Agreement marked an important turning point in global climate diplomacy, but the world has changed since its adoption. Climate science has evolved, the impacts of global warming are more evident, and the urgency of the crisis has grown. As we approach the next decade, the time has come to rethink our global climate architecture. We need a new, more ambitious approach-one that is legally binding, that holds countries accountable, that embraces the leadership of sub-national actors, that ensures robust climate finance, and that tackles climate change at a systemic level.
The question is how quickly and effectively we can act. The global community must come together to push the boundaries of what is possible. It's time to look beyond Paris-to expand the framework and scale the urgency of our collective action. The planet's future depends on it.
Manmohan Parkash is a former Senior Advisor, Office of the President, and Deputy Director General, South Asia, Asian Development Bank. manmohanparkash@gmail.com
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