• Two themes run across global climate change governance: different interpretations of
how to differentiate between countries’ responsibilities for emissions reductions and
the quest for universal participation.
• The 1997 Kyoto Protocol was a mitigation-centric, “top-down” instrument with an
absolute cap on emissions divided among developed countries.
• The 2015 Paris Agreement is a “bottom-up” agreement, where all parties submit
nationally determined contributions (NDCs).
• Countries aim to hold global average temperature rise well below 2°C and, if possible,
1.5°C, in line with recommendations from scientists, but their collective emission
reduction pledges remain far from sufficient.
