DCU Institute for Climate and Society hosts event reflecting on ten years of the Paris Climate Agreement

The event was held in conjunction with the French Embassy and was opened by the French Ambassador, H.E. Céline Place. Speakers included Benoît Faraco, Climate Ambassador of the French Government, who was in Dublin for the day, and Eamon Ryan, former Irish Minister for Environment, Climate and Communications. It took place in Europe House on Chatham Street.

The event focused on the anniversary of events ten years ago in Le Bourget outside Paris where countries agreed to take measures to keep global warming to 2C above pre-industrial levels, and to aim for 1.5C.

The Paris Agreement became the foundation for subsequent climate policy, and has been the basis for multiple lawsuits against governments for failing to implement its terms.

At the time, the agreement was seen as a breakthrough, and a restoration of the power of multilateralism in the wake of the failure to reach an agreement in Copenhagen in 2009.

But was the Paris Agreement strong enough to begin with? And how has it shaped climate climate policy and discourse in the last decade? These were the questions up for debate last Thursday evening.

In addition to Mr Faraco and Former Minister Ryan speakers included:

Kevin O'Sullivan, environment and science editor of the Irish Times

Prof. Claire Dupont, Research Professor, Gent University

Dr. Sinead Walsh, Principal Research Fellow, ODI Global