The level of the NDC set by each country[8] will determine the objectives of that country. However, the “contributions” themselves are not binding under international law because of the lack of specificity, normative nature or language necessary to establish binding standards. [20] In addition, there will be no mechanism to compel a country[7] to set a target in its NDC on a specified date and not for an application if a defined target is not achieved in an NDC. [8] [21] There will be only a “Name and Shame” system [22] or as UN Deputy Secretary General for Climate Change, J. Pésztor, CBS News (US), a “Name and Encouragement” plan. [23] Since the agreement has no consequences if countries do not live up to their commitments, such a consensus is fragile. A cattle of nations withdrawing from the agreement could trigger the withdrawal of other governments and lead to the total collapse of the agreement. [24] From 30 November to 11 December 2015, France hosted representatives from 196 countries at the UN Climate Change Conference (UN), one of the largest and most ambitious global meetings ever held. The goal was nothing less than a binding and universal agreement to limit greenhouse gas emissions to levels that would prevent global temperatures from rising more than 2oC above the lower temperature levels set before the start of the industrial revolution. Unlike the Kyoto Protocol, which set legally binding emission reduction targets (as well as penalties for non-compliance) only for industrialized countries, the Paris Agreement requires all countries – rich, poor, developed and developing – to take their share and reduce their greenhouse gas emissions.
To this end, the Paris Agreement provides for greater flexibility: commitments that countries should make are not included, countries can voluntarily set their emissions targets and countries will not be penalized if they do not meet their proposed targets. But what the Paris agreement requires is to monitor, report and reassess, over time, the objectives of individual and collective countries, in order to bring the world closer to the broader objectives of the agreement. And the agreement stipulates that countries must announce their next round of targets every five years, contrary to the Kyoto Protocol, which was aimed at this target but which contained no specific requirements to achieve this goal. The NDC in the United States has set a target of reducing its emissions by 26-28% from 2005 levels by 2025, including land use, land use changes and forestry (UTCATF). The CTU estimates that the target of reducing emissions from 26% to 28%, including lulucf, is expected to result in a reduction in greenhouse gas emissions of 22-29% from 2005 levels outside UTCATF, depending on whether the UTCATF decline is at or below projections.