Abstract:

The Paris Agreement laid the legal foundation for the global governance on climate change beyond 2020. However, a series of subsequent tasks, including the development of “Paris Rulebook” (Paris Agreement Work Program, PAWP), the refinement of the corresponding rules, systems and guidelines, etc., has been mandated. After three years negotiation, the 24th Conference of the Parties (COP24), held in Katowice at the end of 2018, adopted a package of rules and procedures on a number of issues such as mitigation, transparency, adaptation, finance, global stocktake, compliance and other Paris Agreement provisions excluding the rules for Article 6 (market mechanism), produced a comprehensive rulebook fleshing out the operational details of the landmark Paris Agreement, and will provide clear guidance for the full and effective implementation of the Paris Agreement and promoting global low-emission and climate-resilience development pathways. This study is devoted to conducting comprehensively and in-depth analysis on the content and characteristics of the Paris rulebook, evaluating potential impacts and requirements on China, looking into the future trends of climate negotiation and providing suggestions on China’s potential countermeasures. Rulebook continues the “exquisite balance” of the Paris Agreement, strictly adheres to the “bottom-up” model of the Paris Agreement, harmonizes measuring, accounting and reporting standards with certain flexibility and further confirms the sequential decision-making mechanism for improving action and support in a five-year cycle. The study further identifies that the rulebook may bring new opportunities and challenges to China, especially on being torch bearer of global climate governance and domestic compliance of Paris Agreement. In this regard, China needs to make a new layout from the concept of understanding, responsibility, business exertion and coordination, and build a new system of climate governance according to the new trends and characteristics both at home and abroad.

Key words: Katowice, Paris Agreement, Rulebook, Climate negotiation