Skip to content
Media
Valtioneuvoston kanslia frontpage

Report: The Paris Agreement entered into force; work needed on the implementing rules

Government Communications Department
Publication date 19.12.2016 13.11
Press release 559/2016

The Paris Agreement on Climate Change entered into force at record speed: in November 2016 it had been ratified by 110 parties, representing 77% of the global greenhouse gas emissions. This is why the first session of the Marrakech Climate Change Conference (COP-22), somewhat surprisingly, served as the first meeting of the parties to the Paris Agreement which according to the agreement was to adopt most of the more detailed implementing rules. Due to the speedy entry into force, however, negotiations on the rules are only getting started. Thus the first meeting of the parties must be continued next year, and the year after that as well. The implementing rules should be completed by 2018.

The report ”Implementation of the Paris Agreement and tasks to develop its rulebook” discusses the tasks at hand to create the implementing rules of the Paris Agreement, topic by topic. All the main sub-themes are covered, including emissions reductions and climate change adaptation, funding, forests and land use, and promoting the implementation of and compliance with the agreement

Besides the implementing rules, the report describes Finland’s role in the implementation of the Paris Agreement and utilisation of Finnish expertise in promoting global climate action. With regard to the role of Finland the focus is on climate change funding, forest expertise, strengthening the capabilities of the developing countries, and Finland’s experiences in using the market mechanisms of the Kyoto Protocol. One of the key observations of the report is that relative to its size Finland has a lot to offer in several sub-themes of the agreement, both in the negotiations on the rules and in their implementation. 

The report was prepared as part of the Government plan for analysis, assessment and research 2016. It was drawn up by Anna Laine, Majella Clarke, Tommi Ekholm, Roland Magnusson, Tomi Lindroos, Hanna-Mari Ahonen, Kati Kulovesi, Oras Tynkkynen and Ossi Kasurinen. 

Implementation of the Paris Agreement and tasks to develop its rulebook

The report is part of the project on the preparation for the obligations of the Paris climate change agreement led by GreenStream Network and implemented in cooperation between the VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland, Tyrsky Consulting, Indufor and CC Law. 

Further information about the Government’s analysis, assessment and research at tietokayttoon.fi.

Inquiries:

Anna Laine, Senior Specialist, GreenStream Network Oy, tel. +358 40 840 8002, anna.laine (at) greenstream.net

Majella Clarke, Head of Climate Change Consulting, Indufor, tel. +358 50 576 3042, majella.clarke (at) indufor.fi 

Tommi Ekholm, Senior Scientist, VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland Ltd, tel. +358 40 775 4079, tommi.ekholm (at) vtt.fi