Part II Analysis of the Provisions of the Agreement, 9 Mitigation (Article 4)

Subject(s):

Climate change — Treaties, amendments and modification — Treaties, application — Treaties, interpretation — General principles of international law

This chapter turns to Article 4 of the Paris Agreement, which covers mitigation. The provisions on mitigation are in fact a central part of the Agreement. Thus, Article 4 opens with a long-term goal for mitigation, framing the core provisions, which are binding individual obligations of conduct, called nationally determined contribution (NDCs) on mitigation. Mitigation NDCs represent an evolution, from general commitments for all, with additional commitments for some under the UNFCCC. The Paris Agreement places legal obligations (within the overall form of a treaty) on all countries to have successive mitigation NDCs and to pursue domestic measures to achieve their objectives (Article 4.2).