At Paris this week in the hottest year in recorded history, there are expectations that a global legally binding agreement on greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions will be adopted for the period beyond 2020.
Negotiators are discussing a heavily bracketed text — which implies that there is still a lot that has to be settled — but there is an air of optimism and commitment. More than 170 countries have already submitted their targets (intended nationally determined contributions) for this period, covering 95 per cent of global emissions. Initial assessments of these targets show that they are consistent with a 2.7 to 4 degree rise in temperature from pre-industrial levels, if implemented. This is above the 2 degrees Celsius target that was agreed to by parties in 2009 and 2010, as well as the 1.5 degree target seen as necessary by the small island states.

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