The Paris Agreement, signed in 2015 by 196 parties, is a landmark agreement aimed at combating climate change by limiting global warming to well below 2 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels. One of the key targets of the agreement is to reach zero-net emissions as soon as possible in the latter half of this century. But when exactly did the Paris Agreement want the world to achieve this goal?

According to the Paris Agreement, all parties pledge to undertake ”ambitious efforts” to decrease greenhouse gas emissions as soon as possible and to achieve a balance between anthropogenic emissions by sources and removals by sinks of greenhouse gases in the second half of this century. This balance, or ”zero-net” emissions, is necessary to keep global warming to a manageable level and avoid catastrophic climate change.

While the Paris Agreement does not set a specific deadline for achieving zero-net emissions, it does require parties to regularly update their nationally determined contributions (NDCs) and to communicate their long-term low greenhouse gas emission development strategies. These strategies should provide a pathway to achieve the ultimate goal of the agreement, which is to hold the increase in the global average temperature to well below 2°C above pre-industrial levels, and to pursue efforts to limit the temperature increase to 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels.

Many parties have already committed to achieving net-zero emissions by mid-century, including the European Union, Japan, South Korea, and the United Kingdom. The Biden administration has also set a goal of achieving a net-zero economy by 2050 and has pledged to submit a new NDC to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change.

In conclusion, while the Paris Agreement does not set a specific deadline for achieving zero-net emissions, it requires parties to take ambitious actions to reduce emissions and to communicate their long-term low greenhouse gas emission development strategies. Many countries have set targets for achieving net-zero emissions by mid-century, and the world is moving towards a more sustainable future. It is up to all of us to take action to reduce emissions, transition to renewable energy sources, and protect our planet for future generations.