Video: 'UN Chief calls for action as Paris Agreement enters into force'

(Friday, November 4, 2016) — The landmark Paris Agreement on climate change took effect today, putting into force the first global pact aimed at bringing nearly every nation together to combat global warming.

Video: 'The Paris Agreement for Climate Change'

The agreement calls on countries to work collectively to keep the rise in global temperatures well below 2 degrees Celsius above preindustrial levels while pursuing efforts to limit the increase to 1.5 degrees. Nations have submitted individual plans to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, with those plans subject to regular review and stronger commitments over time.

The agreement does not impose specific emissions cuts or financial penalties on countries that fail to meet their pledges. Its entry into force comes less than a year after nearly 200 nations agreed to the pact in Paris.

Video: 'What is the 'Paris Agreement', and how does it work?'

As of January 2026, 194 members of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) are parties to the agreement. Of the three UNFCCC member states which have not ratified the agreement, the only major emitter is Iran.

The United States, the second largest emitter, withdrew from the agreement in 2020, rejoined in 2021, and withdrew again in 2026.