How do international climate agreements, like the Paris Agreement, address mitigation and adaptation?

International climate agreements address mitigation and adaptation through commitments to reduce emissions and enhance resilience to climate change impacts.

International climate agreements, such as the Paris Agreement, are designed to address both mitigation and adaptation to climate change. Mitigation refers to efforts to reduce or prevent emission of greenhouse gases, while adaptation refers to adjusting to actual or expected future climate and its effects. These agreements are crucial in coordinating global efforts to combat climate change and its impacts.

In terms of mitigation, the Paris Agreement sets out a global framework to avoid dangerous climate change by limiting global warming to well below 2°C and pursuing efforts to limit it to 1.5°C. It requires all Parties to put forward their best efforts through nationally determined contributions (NDCs) and to strengthen these efforts in the years ahead. This includes requirements that all Parties report regularly on their emissions and on their efforts to reduce them.

Moreover, the Paris Agreement also recognises the importance of support for and international cooperation on mitigation efforts between developed and developing countries. It establishes a financial mechanism to help developing countries transition to a low-carbon economy and enhance their ability to mitigate climate change.

On the other hand, adaptation is given equal emphasis in the Paris Agreement. Parties are required to engage in adaptation planning and implementation, including the development or enhancement of relevant plans, policies and actions. This includes the assessment of climate change impacts and vulnerability, and the identification of adaptation measures.

The Paris Agreement also establishes a global goal on adaptation - enhancing adaptive capacity, strengthening resilience and reducing vulnerability to climate change. It recognises that adaptation is a global challenge faced by all, with local, subnational, national, regional and international dimensions. It also acknowledges that adaptation is a key component of the long-term global response to climate change to protect people, livelihoods and ecosystems.

Furthermore, the Paris Agreement promotes international cooperation on adaptation - knowledge sharing, capacity building, technology development and transfer, and financial support for adaptation actions in developing countries. It also establishes a transparency framework to monitor and review progress in adaptation.

In conclusion, international climate agreements like the Paris Agreement provide a comprehensive approach to address both mitigation and adaptation to climate change, through a combination of commitments, cooperation and support mechanisms.