United Nations Climate Change Conference COP21 Concludes With Historic Climate Agreement To Reduce Global Gas Emissions

The 13-day United Nations Climate Change Conference or COP21 in Paris has finally come to a close and has resulted in the historic agreement which "adopts a more ambitious target for limiting global warming," the New York Times reported Saturday.

A text of the Paris Agreement states that developed and developing countries are required to limit their gas emissions to safe levels so as to keep temperature levels below two degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels and, as much as possible, aim for a below 1.5 degrees Celsius temperature as the ideal benchmark.

In order to achieve the goal in the long run, countries have agreed to reduce greenhouse gas emissions every five years. According to the Korea Herald, more than 180 countries have submitted their targets for the first cycle which will commence in 2020.

Since the initial targets wouldn't be enough to sustain the long-term goal, governments are asked to  review and update their targets in the next four years to see if there's room for improvement.

While missing their emission targets doesn't necessarily call for a penalty on countries, the agreement has provided for transparency rules that will encourage nations to keep their end of the bargain. The transparency clause requires countries to submit reports on their emissions standing and what they are doing to reduce it.

Under the agreement, poor nations will also be provided will financial assistance from wealthy countries to help implement policies and mechanisms which will effectively scale down emissions, The Guardian wrote Monday. Countries that are directly affected by disasters resulting from climate change will also receive immediate aid.

Although no specific amount was identified, some wealthy states have previously pledged to pitch in $100 billion per year to fund climate change efforts by 2020.

A "loss and damage" clause has also been included in the COP21 agreement, which marks a victory for small island nations. The Paris agreement provides, "Parties recognize the importance of averting, minimizing and addressing loss and damage associated with the adverse effects of climate change, including extreme weather events and slow onset events, and the role of sustainable development in reducing the risk of loss and damage."

Science Alert noted Monday that the Paris Agreement also has its fair share of critics, with some experts describing the targest as "dramatic" and document itself "vague".

However, Greenpeace International executive director Kumi Naidoo is positive that the Agreement achieved during the COP21 puts us at least one step closer to reaching our goals of minimizing global gas emissions and further eliminating the effects of climate change.

"Today, the human race has joined in a common cause. The Paris agreement is only one step on a long road and there are parts of it that frustrate, that disappoint me, but it is progress. The deal alone won't dig us out of the hole that we're in, but it makes the sides less steep."