Paris Agreement on climate change

What is the Paris Agreement?

The Paris Agreement is an international treaty which legally binds its signatories to act to fight climate change.

For the first time ever, in 2015, governments jointly agreed on a major collective effort to limit global warming and address its impacts.

Hand pushing down on a thermometer showing a temperature increase of 1.5 degree Celsius.

Keep global warming below 1.5°C

Tackle the effects of climate change

The agreement entered into force on 4 November 2016, when the condition of ratification by at least 55 countries accounting for at least 55% of global greenhouse gas emissions had been met.

It outlined an action plan to limit global warming.

Key points of the Paris Agreement

Long-term goal

Global average temperature increase should not exceed 1.5°C by the end of the century.

Transparency

Countries report to each other and the public on how well they are doing in reaching their targets, in order to ensure transparency and oversight.

Contributions

Countries commit to climate action by submitting climate action plans to reduce their emissions.

Solidarity

Climate finance is needed to help vulnerable countries to both reduce emissions and build resilience to climate change.

Ambition

Governments communicate their action plans every five years – each plan setting more ambitious targets.

UNFCCC: the global climate convention

The United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) is the main international agreement on climate action. It was during a meeting of the parties to the UNFCCC in 2015 that countries adopted the Paris Agreement.

The UNFCCC is one of the three conventions that were adopted at the Rio Earth Summit in 1992, when the international community recognised the need to act collectively to protect people and the environment and to contain greenhouse gas emissions.

It has been ratified by almost every country in the world.

In 1997, the UNFCCC signatories concluded the Kyoto Protocol, which introduced the first-ever legally binding emissions reduction target for developed countries, which expired in 2020.

Through the Paris Agreement, countries renewed their commitment to climate action and agreed on new goals to accelerate efforts to limit global warming.

The EU and the Paris Agreement

The EU and all its member states have signed and ratified the Paris Agreement and are strongly committed to its implementation.

By ratifying the agreement, the EU and its countries are legally bound by its goal of keeping global temperatures within safe limits.

To reach this goal, the EU has, amongst other things, launched the European Green Deal strategy, which puts in place measures and rules to drastically cut emissions and transform its economy to become climate-neutral by 2050.

In October 2025 the Council approved the conclusions on the EU's preparations for the 30th Conference of the Parties (COP30) to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), taking place from 10 to 21 November 2025 in Belém, Brazil.

The conclusions outline the EU’s key priorities and positions for the conference, focusing on the urgent need for global climate action and collaboration.

On 5 November, the Council approved an updated nationally determined contribution (NDC) of the EU and its member states, to be submitted to the UNFCCC ahead of COP30. The NDC covers the period up to 2035.

The updated NDC reiterates the EU's goal of achieving a net reduction of 55% in greenhouse gas emissions by 2030 and introduces an indicative contribution of 66.25% to 72.5% for 2035 on the path towards carbon neutrality by 2050.

The EU’s climate ambition puts it at the forefront of the fight against climate change. Its bold policies and actions make it a global standard-setter and help drive climate ambition worldwide.

5 facts about the EU's goal of climate neutrality

Fighting climate change is imperative for the future of Europe and the world. The European climate law set down in legislation the EU’s objective of becoming climate-neutral by 2050. This goal followed the commitment made by the EU and its member states on signing the Paris Agreement in 2015.

What does climate neutrality mean and how does the EU plan to achieve this goal?

Read our feature story

The role of the Council in the Paris Agreement

Every year, the parties to the UNFCCC meet at the conference of the parties (COP) to review and discuss progress made with regard to the convention and on related agreements and their implementation.

The EU and its member states are parties to both the UNFCCC and the Paris Agreement. They attend the COP annually and take part in the negotiations set by the climate convention to agree on updated or new rules within the global agreements.

The presidency of the Council, together with the European Commission, lead the EU’s delegation at the COP. The president of the European Council may also attend the conference.

In these fora, the EU speaks with one voice. The Council of the EU approves Council conclusions, ahead of the international meeting, aimed at agreeing on the EU’s general negotiating position for the climate negotiations.

The role of the Council in international agreements

Infographic showing the role of the Council at the COP: the Council agrees on the EU position for the COP and, together with the Commission, leads the EU delegation at the meeting.