Climate Change and Global Governance: Evaluating The Effectiveness of The Paris Agreement

Abstract

Climate change has emerged as one of the most pressing global challenges confronting the international community in the twenty-first century. Rising global temperatures, increasing frequency of extreme weather events, melting glaciers, and rising sea levels have created profound environmental, economic, and political consequences across the globe. These developments have transformed climate change from a purely environmental concern into a multidimensional issue affecting global security, economic stability, and international cooperation. Because climate change is a transboundary phenomenon that affects all regions of the world, it requires collective action and coordinated policy responses through mechanisms of global governance.

Within the field of international relations, global environmental governance has evolved through the development of international institutions, multilateral environmental agreements, and transnational networks of actors. Among the most significant milestones in this process is the adoption of the Paris Agreement in 2015 under the framework of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change. The Paris Agreement represents a major shift in international climate policy by introducing a flexible system of nationally determined contributions that encourages participation from both developed and developing countries.

This research paper examines the effectiveness of the Paris Agreement as a mechanism of global climate governance. The study explores the evolution of international climate institutions, theoretical perspectives explaining environmental cooperation, and the political dynamics shaping global climate negotiations. By analyzing the institutional structure of the Paris Agreement and its implementation challenges, the paper evaluates whether the agreement is capable of addressing the long-term goals of global climate stabilization.

The study concludes that while the Paris Agreement has succeeded in expanding global participation and strengthening international dialogue on climate policy, its effectiveness remains constrained by voluntary commitments, limited enforcement mechanisms, and geopolitical tensions among major powers. Strengthening global climate governance will therefore require enhanced institutional mechanisms, greater financial support for developing countries, and stronger political commitments from major emitters.