The Paris Agreement

The Paris Agreement is a legally binding international treaty on climate change. It was adopted by 196 Parties, including Australia, at COP 21 in Paris, on 12 December 2015 and entered into force on 4 November 2016.

The goal of the Paris Agreement is to limit global warming to below 2, preferably to 1.5 degrees Celsius, compared to pre-industrial levels.

To achieve this long-term temperature goal, countries aim to reach global peaking of greenhouse gas emissions as soon as possible to achieve a climate neutral world by mid-century.

The Paris Agreement is a landmark in the multilateral climate change process because, for the first time, a binding agreement brings all nations into a common cause to undertake ambitious efforts to combat climate change and adapt to its effects.

For the goals of the Paris Agreement to be achieved, optimisation across all economic sectors, including healthcare, must take place to reduce global emissions.