COP24: Rulebook for implementation of Paris Agreement adopted
Late on Saturday evening, negotiators in Poland secured an agreement on rules that will make the 2015 Paris climate accord operational. According to Swedish Climate Minister Isabella Lövin, the outcome of the talks had been “better than expected”, particularly after the US, Saudi Arabia, Russia and Kuwait last Saturday objected to the meeting “welcoming” an IPCC report on the impacts of a temperature rise of 1.5C. The rulebook covers a multitude of questions, such as how countries should report their greenhouse gas emissions or contributions to climate finance, as well as what rules should apply to voluntary market mechanisms, such as carbon trading.
The final outcome included hints at the need for more ambitious climate pledges before 2020, leaving many NGOs disappointed at the lack of more forceful language.