At the Paris summit in 30 November to 11 December 2015, 196 countries will meet to sign a new climate change agreement. But how likely is it that it will be meaningful and make a difference to climate action on the ground?

A strong international agreement will:

• Allow countries to push ahead with strategies and policies for carbon emissions reduction, knowing that others are doing likewise;
• Provide a predictable framework for a global low carbon economy;
• Allow developing countries to pursue low carbon development strategies and adapt to the effects of climate change;
• Improve international efforts to protect the natural environment

Eliminating poverty, improving health and building security are all outcomes linked to tackling climate change.  And it will also bring huge benefits to the natural environment by helping  to avoid biodiversity loss and the degradation of ecosystems upon which  we all depend.

1. The agreement should include ambitious national plans for action from 2020 onwards, and a package of pre-2020 action, with more ambitious  national mitigation pledges, better delivery of existing financial  commitments and more action in key sectors, such as energy efficiency,  renewable energy deployment and forest protection.
2. The legal form of the agreement should inspire confidence that commitments will be delivered in a timely and credible manner by national governments. This should be supported by a clear, shared accounting system and robust, transparent monitoring and reporting requirements.
3. The agreement must allow for comparisons of national contributions, using appropriate indicators of national responsibilities and capabilities, to encourage ambition and ensure that climate action links with strategies for poverty alleviation and sustainable development.
4. The agreement should include a forward looking regime of five year commitment periods with a one-way ratchet mechanism to enable enhanced ambition; it should move towards a goal to phase out pollution from fossil fuels by 2050 and phase in clean energy technologies.
5. The agreement should include commitments to scaled up public finance, to support adaptation and mitigation action, aligned with other public finance for development; and wider efforts should be made to secure private sector investment in the low carbon economy.
6. Any new agreement covering forest protection, land use and agriculture should be properly financed, have clear rules for emissions accounting and involve local communities in decision making. It should ensure better biodiversity, ecosystem protection and restoration, and include support for sustainable agriculture and increased climate resilience.
7. The agreements on climate change and SDGs should be seen as complementary, with opportunities for mutual benefit in areas such as low carbon development, climate adaptation and resilience, and new flows of finance.