How much has been achieved?

The historic Paris Climate Agreement was adopted on December 12, 2015, at the United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP21), held in Paris, France to address the severe risks posed by climate change. 
Countries around the world agreed to the pact with the objectives of controlling global warming, reducing carbon emissions, adapting to climate change and providing financial assistance to affected countries.
 
The main goal of the agreement was to keep the rise in global temperatures well below 2 degrees Celsius compared to pre-industrial levels while pursuing efforts to limit the increase to 1.5 degrees Celsius.

The biggest achievement of the Paris Agreement is that it brought countries around the world under a common framework to address climate change. As a result, various countries have adopted plans to reduce carbon emissions in line with their Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) and have become part of a process to update those plans every five years.

Following the agreement, international initiatives to increase the use of renewable energy, invest in solar and wind power, and build climate-resilient infrastructure have also gained momentum.

In addition, the decision to establish the Loss and Damage Fund at the COP27 conference held in Egypt in 2022 was considered an important achievement for countries affected by climate change. At COP28 in 2023 held Dubai, United Arab Emirates, a global consensus was also reached on transitioning away from fossil fuels.

New Commitments on Climate Finance
One of the most important aspects of the Paris Agreement was the provision of financial and technological support to developing countries to address climate change. At COP29, held in Baku, Azerbaijan, in 2024, a new target was set to provide at least $300 billion annually in climate finance to developing countries by 2035. At the same time, countries reached a consensus on efforts to scale up financing from public and private sources to $1.3 trillion annually.

However, developing countries argue that financing remains inadequate compared to their actual needs. In particular, reliance on loans instead of grants and delays in disbursing funds remain major problems.
Major Gaps Remain in Implementation

Despite the commitments under the Paris Agreement, global carbon emissions have not declined at the expected rate. According to the 2025 report of the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), if current policies continue, global temperatures could rise by approximately 2.8 degrees Celsius over this century. As a result, achieving the 1.5-degree Celsius target is becoming increasingly difficult.

According to experts, the slow implementation of commitments by developed countries, continued reliance on fossil fuels and the shortfall in climate financing are the main obstacles in this regard.

Importance for Bangladesh
Bangladesh is one of the countries most vulnerable to climate change. Rising sea levels, salinity, cyclones, floods and river erosion are having widespread impacts on the country's economy and people's lives.

Through the Paris Agreement, Bangladesh has gained an important opportunity to access international financing and support for climate adaptation, addressing losses and damages, and technology transfer. Such assistance is particularly important for coastal protection, climate-resilient agriculture, disaster management and the rehabilitation of affected people.

Implementation, Not Commitments, Is the Real Challenge
Although the Paris Climate Agreement has brought historic progress in global climate diplomacy, much remains to be done to achieve its core objectives. Climate-vulnerable countries expect developed nations to fulfil their commitments to provide financial assistance and technological support.

Overall, the Paris Agreement has given the world a common goal for addressing climate change. The biggest challenge now is to turn those commitments into effective initiatives and tangible results