https://unfccc.int/process-and-meetings/the-paris-agreement
The Paris Agreement is a legally binding international treaty on climate change. It was adopted by 196 Parties at the UN Climate Change Conference (COP21) in Paris, France, on 12 December 2015.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paris_Agreement
The Paris Agreement has been described as having a bottom-up structure, as its core pledge and review mechanism allows nations to set their own NDCs, rather than having targets imposed top down.[54][55] Unlike its predecessor, the Kyoto Protocol, which sets commitment targets that have legal force, the Paris Agreement, with its emphasis on consensus building, allows for voluntary and nationally determined targets.[56] The specific climate goals are thus politically encouraged, rather than legally bound. Only the processes governing the reporting and review of these goals are mandated under international law. This structure is especially notable for the United States—because there are no legal mitigation or finance targets, the agreement is considered an "executive agreement rather than a treaty". Because the UNFCCC treaty of 1992 received the consent of the US Senate, this new agreement does not require further legislation.[56]
How does the Paris Agreement ensure that countries will be held accountable if they don't reach their targets? In my understanding, since there's no explicit consequences of not abiding by our commitments, it seems to be misleading to claim it's a legally-binding treaty, because it doesn't ensure that all countries will be held accountable and to the same degree. So did I read this wrong, or there's not an effective process or law that ensures that countries will be held accountable and it's a gray area?
