Paris Agreement and the 1.5°C Target

The Paris Agreement, adopted at COP21 in December 2015 and entered into force in November 2016, is a legally binding international treaty under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC). Its central aim is to limit global average temperature rise to well below 2°C above pre-industrial levels, with efforts to limit the increase to 1.5°C. The 1.5°C aspirational limit was inserted at the insistence of vulnerable nations, particularly Small Island Developing States (SIDS) and least developed countries, who face existential threats from sea-level rise and extreme weather. India ratified the Paris Agreement in October 2016 and submitted its Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC), updated in 2022, pledging 45% reduction in emission intensity of GDP by 2030 (from 2005 levels) and 50% non-fossil electricity capacity by 2030.