About
The primary goal is to hold the increase in the global average temperature to well below 2°C above pre-industrial levels, and preferably below 1.5°C. The long-term goal is climate neutrality by 2100.
To achieve this, countries are required to set goals for their climate efforts every five years, increasing their level of ambition over time, and report regularly on their emissions and on their implementation efforts. This is also known as the parties' National Determined Contributions ('NDCs'). The state parties reported their NDCs for the first time in 2020, and will have to report their NDCs every five year thereafter to the UNFCCC secretariat.
The 2022 United Nations Climate Change Conference, more commonly referred to as COP27, was held in Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt, from 6 to 20 November 2022. COP27 recommitted to the goals set by the Paris Agreement. However, the COP27 summit has been criticised for yielding insufficient progress in terms of actual measures to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
COP 29 was held in Baku from 11-22 November 2024. COP29 had a central focus on climate finance and reached an agreement that will triple finance to developing countries, from the previous goal of USD 100 billion annually, to USD 300 billion annually by 2035. It also secure efforts of all actors to work together to scale up finance to developing countries, from public and private sources, to the amount of USD 1.3 trillion per year by 2035.
COP30 was held in Belém, Brazil from 10-21 November 2025. In connection with the Main Decision, a number of countries sought to include provisions regarding a roadmap for the “transition away from fossil energy,” as a follow-up to the decision from COP28 in Dubai in 2023. Fossil energy is not mentioned in the Main Decision, nor is a roadmap for transition. Nevertheless, as COP President, Brazil will launch a roadmap outside the formal process. COP31 will take place in Antalya, Turkey, from 9 November to 20 November 2026, and Australia will lead the negotiations.
Who does it impact?
- State parties that have ratified the Paris Agreement
- Other businesses and actors indirectly affected by legislation, regulations or requirements set out by the state parties
Status: In force
The Paris Agreement entered into force on 4 November 2016.
Relation to other initiatives and regulations
The Paris Agreement builds upon the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (the UNFCCC), and is initiated by the parties to this convention.
Participants
- As of December 2025, there are 195 parties to the agreement, including the EU and the United States (three signatories have not yet ratified the agreement). This means that the Paris Agreement has been ratified by almost all the states of the world.
- President Trump has signed an executive order to withdraw the United States from the Paris Agreement. By withdrawing, the United States will join Iran, Libya and Yemen as the only four countries not party to the agreement.
Thommessen's comments
Although the Paris Agreement does not impose obligations on anyone other than its participant states, these states will have to undertake measures to reduce the emission of greenhouse gases.
Consequently, the Paris Agreement may have the indirect effect that these states impose stricter obligations, requirements, sanctions etc. related to the emission of greenhouse gases, which may affect businesses and other actors within their jurisdiction. It might therefore be advantageous to undertake climate-friendly measures and to be a low emission business.
There are also several other regulations and business initiatives aiming to achieve the goals of the Paris Agreement, which indirectly may affect businesses within a wide range of industries.
Norway has completed its first reporting under the Paris Agreement. Now, in accordance with the agreement, Norway has reported to the UN on, among other things, the progress of our national climate goals. Additionally, there have been reported on other matters such as climate adaptation and support for developing countries.