PWH at UNGA and Climate Week

Marking the tenth anniversary of the Paris Agreement, Perry World House hosted two major conversations at the margins of the UN General Assembly and Climate Week. They explored the legacy of this treaty and the evolving challenges shaping the future of climate action.

Led by the Penn International Climate Observatory (PICO), an expert discussion focused on The Changing Geopolitics of Climate and drew a packed room of experts to examine how the global landscape for climate policy has shifted since the Paris Agreement was adopted. It underscored the need for a recalibration of climate strategy that responds to geopolitical competition and weaker multilateral structures. Participants also emphasized the need to link climate action more closely to socio-economic security, especially at the local level. Some thought that extreme weather events with cascading economic impacts would drive action. Others discussed how new forms of climate cooperation—through subnational networks, bilateral and trilateral partnerships, as well as knowledge sharing platforms and unexpected grassroots collaborations were emerging in response to new risks and tensions. Participants also highlighted how entrenched fossil fuel interests and geopolitical tensions, particularly over trade with China, were complicating the energy transition. 

A subsequent discourse reflected on the legacy of the Paris Agreement at its 10-year mark, weighing its achievements and shortcomings. Discussants credited the Agreement with avoiding the worst of warming scenarios, securing universal participation, and unlocking climate finance. They also highlighted how it influenced further action in other international fora as well as private-sector initiatives. Concerns were noted, however, about the agreement’s weak binding nature and the gaps between ambition and delivery, especially on finance, with global emissions still steering toward dangerous warming scenarios.  

Looking ahead, participants debated whether the future lies in revitalized multilateralism or in more regional and mini-lateral approaches to climate action. Some emphasized carbon markets and pricing as a way forward. Many agreed on the importance of preserving and adapting the Paris Agreement as the only universal framework for climate action.