The Paris Agreement’s contribution to the development of the law on adaptation

This chapter analyses the Paris Agreement and the impact it has had on the development of the law on adaptation. It begins with a discussion of the meaning of climate change adaptation. It then analyses adaptation in the climate change regime, first in the UNFCCC and lead-up to the Paris Agreement, next in the Paris Agreement itself, and finally in the years since the Agreement’s adoption. The chapter closes by considering whether and how the Paris Agreement has contributed to the development of the law on adaptation. In doing so, it explores both how the Agreement develops international law on adaptation and the potential effect the Agreement and its legal obligations have had on the way states are planning for, and undertaking, adaptation. The chapter highlights that progress has been made in adaptation planning; however, significant changes in financial support and a greater emphasis on implementation are needed to meet the goals of the Paris Agreement and address the accelerating impacts of climate change.