Pictured: Dr Mitchell Lennan and Dr Daria Shapovalova

Adopted in 2015 and entering into force in 2016, the Paris Agreement is an international legally binding treaty on climate change and has 195 Parties. It sets out to strengthen the global response to climate change by placing obligations on parties to take steps to reduce their greenhouse gas emissions to limit global warming to 1.5-2.0 degrees Celsius.

This is undertaken through progressive reporting and reviewing of emissions reduction and other climate action by each Party. However, the agreement has faced criticism regarding its strength as an instrument of international law.

It is timely therefore that the new book “sets out a systematic analysis of the Paris Agreement taking into account developments since it entered into force in 2016”.

Dr Shapovalova’s chapter focuses on the constituent norms of the agreement’s Enhanced Transparency Framework for Action and Support and explores state practice on climate transparency under the growing trend of climate litigation.

Dr Lennan’s chapter is co-authored with Professor Elisa Morgera (University of Strathclyde/One Ocean Hub) argues for a mutually supportive interpretation of the Paris Agreement with other environmental agreements and takes a focus on the recent formal inclusion of “ocean-based climate action” into the international climate policy discussion.