Question

Which of the following international treaty aims to address the climate change by limiting global warming below 2$^\circ$ Celsius above pre-industrial levels?

• A. Montreal Protocol
• B. Paris agreement
• C. Kyoto protocol
• D. Copenhagen Accord

Hint:

• The Paris Agreement (2015) is the key international treaty addressing climate change.
• Its central goal is to limit global average temperature increase to well below 2°C above pre-industrial levels, and to pursue efforts to limit it to 1.5°C.
• It relies on Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) from participating countries.
• Kyoto Protocol focused on emission reduction targets for developed countries for an earlier period.
• Montreal Protocol addresses ozone layer depletion.

Answer 1

The Correct Option is B

The international treaty that sets a specific goal to limit global warming well below 2 degrees Celsius, preferably to 1.5 degrees Celsius, compared to pre-industrial levels is the Paris Agreement.

• Paris Agreement (2015) (option b): Adopted under the UNFCCC, this landmark agreement aims to strengthen the global response to the threat of climate change. Its central aim is to keep the global average temperature rise this century well below 2°C above pre-industrial levels and to pursue efforts to limit the temperature increase even further to 1.5°C. It requires all participating countries to outline and communicate their post-2020 climate actions, known as Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs).

Let's look at other options:

• Montreal Protocol (1987) (option a): Aims to protect the stratospheric ozone layer by phasing out ozone-depleting substances. While some ODS are also greenhouse gases, its primary goal is ozone layer protection, not limiting global temperature rise to a specific target.
• Kyoto Protocol (1997) (option c): An earlier international treaty that committed industrialized countries (Annex I parties) to set binding emission reduction targets for greenhouse gases. It did not set a global temperature limit like the Paris Agreement. Its first commitment period was 2008-2012.
• Copenhagen Accord (2009) (option d): An outcome of the COP15 climate summit in Copenhagen. While it recognized the scientific view that the increase in global temperature should be below 2 degrees Celsius, it was a non-binding political agreement and did not establish legally binding commitments for all countries in the same way the Paris Agreement later did.

Therefore, the Paris Agreement is the treaty that explicitly aims to limit global warming to well below 2°C. \[ \boxed{\text{Paris agreement}} \]