Bolivia's Commitment To The Paris Climate Accord

Bolivia is a small country that is vulnerable to climate change but has little responsibility for causing the problem. In 2015, Bolivia was one of 196 parties that negotiated the Paris Agreement, an international treaty on climate change. Bolivia is listed as one of the 195 members of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) that are parties to the agreement as of February 2023. Bolivia's participation in the Paris Agreement is significant as the country has been a vocal opponent of previous climate agreements, such as the Cancún climate agreement in 2010.

Bolivia signed the Paris Agreement in 2016

Bolivia, officially known as the Plurinational State of Bolivia, signed the Paris Agreement on 22 April 2016. The agreement was open for signature by states and regional economic integration organizations that are parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) from 22 April 2016 to 21 April 2017 at the UN Headquarters in New York.

Bolivia is a developing country that has been disproportionately affected by climate change. The country has experienced significant glacial melt, with the Royal Cordillera region losing more than 40% of its snow-capped peaks since 1980, forcing the closure of its oldest ski resort. As such, Bolivia had much to gain from the signing of the Paris Agreement, which aims to strengthen the global response to climate change.

The Paris Agreement was negotiated by 196 parties at the 2015 United Nations Climate Change Conference near Paris, France, and was adopted by consensus on 12 December 2015. The agreement has a long-term temperature goal of keeping the rise in global surface temperature well below 2°C above pre-industrial levels, with a preferred limit of 1.5°C. To achieve this, greenhouse gas emissions should be reduced as soon as possible and reach net zero by the middle of the 21st century.

On 1 April 2016, the United States and China, which together represent almost 40% of global emissions, confirmed that they would sign the Paris Climate Agreement. Bolivia was among the latest group of countries to join the agreement on 5 October 2016, alongside Austria, Canada, France, Germany, Hungary, Malta, Nepal, Portugal, and Slovakia, as well as the European Union. With the ratification by these countries, the agreement obtained enough parties to enter into effect as of 4 November 2016.

Bolivia's stance on climate change

Bolivia is a developing country that has been adversely affected by climate change. In 2009, Bolivia’s Royal Cordillera region lost more than 40% of its snow-capped peaks since 1980, which forced its oldest ski resort to close down. The country has also faced challenges in providing people with water and electricity, which were previously supplied by glaciers.

Bolivia is a signatory to the Paris Agreement, an international treaty on climate change that was signed in 2016. The agreement aims to keep the rise in global surface temperature to well below 2 °C (3.6 °F) above pre-industrial levels, with a more ambitious goal of limiting the increase to 1.5 °C (2.7 °F). To achieve this, the agreement requires countries to reduce their greenhouse gas emissions as soon as possible and to reach net zero by the middle of the 21st century.

At the same time, Bolivia has proposed several environmental initiatives that may be considered independently from its political agenda. For instance, Bolivia has advocated for holding consumerist countries accountable and redrawing the line between developing and developed countries based on their ability to help poorer nations. Morales has also supported a carbon budget and an International Climate Justice Tribunal.

Bolivia has also championed the rights of Mother Earth, framing climate change policy in terms of "indigenous people's rights." This stance has garnered support from indigenous segments of the population, as well as leaders from neighboring countries and other developing nations.

In terms of concrete actions, Bolivia has submitted a National Communication to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) in November 2000. This communication established the National GHG Inventory for 1994 and presented the main vulnerability challenges to climate change for the forestry, water, and farm sectors. A Second National Communication is currently being prepared, with a focus on establishing strategic relationships with local governments and institutions to better understand the impacts of climate change.

The country has also developed the National Climate Change Program (PNCC), which acts as the technical advisor to the government on climate change adaptation issues. The PNCC has initiated research activities and the first investigations on the national inventory of greenhouse gas emissions. Bolivia has incorporated cross-cutting policies and programs into its National Development Program to ensure an early and adequate response to the impacts of climate change.

In summary, Bolivia's stance on climate change is shaped by its experience as a developing country suffering from the effects of climate change. The country has actively participated in international negotiations and agreements while also proposing its own initiatives. Domestically, Bolivia has taken steps to understand and address the impacts of climate change through research, policy development, and cross-sector collaboration.

Paris Agreement's long-term goals

The Paris Agreement is an international treaty on climate change that was signed in 2016. It is an agreement within the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) dealing with greenhouse gas emissions mitigation, adaptation, and finance. The Paris Agreement was negotiated by 196 parties at the 2015 United Nations Climate Change Conference near Paris, France.

The Paris Agreement has a long-term temperature goal of keeping the rise in global surface temperature to well below 2°C (3.6°F) above pre-industrial levels. The treaty also states that the increase should preferably not exceed 1.5°C (2.7°F). The lower the temperature increase, the smaller the effects of climate change are expected to be. To achieve this temperature goal, greenhouse gas emissions should be reduced as soon as possible and by as much as possible. They should even reach net zero by the middle of the 21st century.

To stay below 1.5°C of global warming, emissions need to be cut by roughly 50% by 2030. This figure takes into account each country's documented pledges. The treaty aims to help countries adapt to the effects of climate change and mobilize enough finance. Under the agreement, each country must determine, plan, and regularly report on its contributions. No mechanism forces a country to set specific emissions targets, but each target should go beyond previous ones.

The Paris Agreement is implemented via national policy. It involves improving energy efficiency to decrease the energy intensity of the global economy. Implementation also requires cutting back on fossil fuel burning and rapidly increasing the share of sustainable energy. Emissions are being reduced rapidly in the electricity sector, but not in the building, transport, and heating sectors. Some industries are difficult to decarbonize, and for those, carbon dioxide removal may be necessary to achieve net-zero emissions.

The Paris Agreement is considered a success by world leaders. However, some environmentalists and analysts have criticized it, saying it is not strict enough. There is a debate about the effectiveness of the agreement, with most experts saying it is insufficient for its more ambitious goal of keeping global temperature rise under 1.5°C. The effectiveness of the agreement in reaching its climate goals is under debate, and many of the exact provisions have yet to be finalized.

Paris Agreement's impact on developing countries

The Paris Agreement is an international treaty on climate change that was signed in 2016. The treaty covers climate change mitigation, adaptation, and finance. The agreement was negotiated by 196 parties at the 2015 United Nations Climate Change Conference near Paris, France.

The Paris Agreement has a long-term temperature goal: to keep the rise in global surface temperature to well below 2°C (3.6°F) above pre-industrial levels. The treaty also states that the increase should ideally not exceed 1.5°C (2.7°F). The lower the temperature increase, the smaller the effects of climate change. To achieve this temperature goal, greenhouse gas emissions should be reduced as soon as possible and by as much as possible. They should even reach net zero by the middle of the 21st century.

The Paris Agreement is expected to have a significant impact on developing countries. Firstly, the agreement requires all countries, including developing nations, to submit plans for emission reductions. This marks a shift from the 1997 Kyoto Protocol, which only required developed countries to reduce emissions. While the Paris Agreement does not force countries to set specific emission targets, each target should go beyond previous ones.

Secondly, the Paris Agreement provides a framework for developed nations to assist developing nations in their climate mitigation and adaptation efforts. It commits to providing financing to developing countries to help them mitigate climate change, strengthen resilience, and enhance their ability to adapt to climate impacts. The agreement states that a new commitment of at least $100 billion per year must be agreed upon before 2025 to support these efforts.

Thirdly, the Paris Agreement establishes a process for periodically assessing the collective progress towards its long-term goals. This includes the Global Stocktake, which assesses progress every five years and provides input for new nationally determined contributions.

Finally, the Paris Agreement has been used in climate litigation to force countries and corporations to strengthen their climate action. For example, in May 2021, a district court in The Hague ruled against oil company Royal Dutch Shell, ordering it to cut its global emissions by 45% from 2019 levels by 2030.

Paris Agreement's implementation

The Paris Agreement is a legally binding international treaty that entered into force on 4 November 2016. As of February 2023, 195 members of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) are parties to the agreement. The Agreement aims to respond to the global climate change threat by keeping a global temperature rise this century well below 2 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels and limiting the temperature increase to 1.5 degrees Celsius.

The implementation of the Paris Agreement is essential for achieving the Sustainable Development Goals. The Agreement works on a five-year cycle of increasingly ambitious climate action carried out by countries. Every five years, each country is expected to submit an updated national climate action plan, known as a Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC). In their NDCs, countries communicate the actions they will take to reduce their greenhouse gas emissions and build resilience to adapt to rising temperatures.

The operational details for the practical implementation of the Paris Agreement were agreed upon at the UN Climate Change Conference (COP24) in Katowice, Poland, in December 2018, in what is colloquially called the Paris Rulebook. The Rulebook was finalized at COP26 in Glasgow, Scotland, in November 2021.

The Paris Agreement establishes both temperature and emissions goals. To achieve these goals, the Agreement sets out several legal obligations for the parties, including:

• Preparing and communicating an NDC every five years, with the necessary information for clarity, transparency, and understanding.
• Maintaining successive NDCs.
• Accounting for their NDCs.
• Pursuing domestic measures to achieve the objective of their NDCs.

The Paris Agreement also includes provisions for an enhanced framework for capacity building, recognizing the varying circumstances of countries, and providing flexibility for developing countries in the enhanced transparency framework.

The Agreement establishes an iterative process, known as the ambition mechanism, to increase ambition over time. Every five years, parties submit their NDCs, and their progress is assessed through technical expert and peer review. A global stocktake of collective progress is also conducted to inform the next round of NDCs.

The Paris Agreement has become a focal point for climate change litigation, with cases such as State of the Netherlands v. Urgenda Foundation and Milieudefensie et al v Royal Dutch Shell. The Agreement has also been recognized as a "human rights treaty" by the Supreme Federal Court of Brazil.

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