To what extent does the Paris agreement reflect the principles of Realism and Liberalism? The Paris Agreement is an international accord that was issued and signed by 196 countries on December 12, 2015. The agreement came into effect on November 4, 2016. This agreement was proposed in Paris during the 21st Conference of the Parties, held by the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change. The purpose of the treaty is to combat the ineffectiveness of the Kyoto Protocol and reduce greenhouse gas emissions to ensure that global temperatures do not rise more than two degrees Celsius in this century.

Additionally, the Paris Agreement strives to ensure that all countries are committed to its policies by evaluating their commitments on an annual basis. The agreement also provides financial aid to underdeveloped countries to help them reduce their carbon emissions and adopt environmentally friendly practices, making it more effective than the Kyoto Protocol. The Paris Agreement is a milestone because it was the first time that nations across the globe were committed to a multilateral agreement that encourages all countries to pursue a common goal: reducing greenhouse gas emissions and combating climate change. Due to the magnitude of the event, the theories of Realism and Liberalism can be used to determine the motive and effectiveness of the Paris Agreement. The Paris Agreement reflects the principles of Liberalism to a great extent as the agreement encourages international cooperation and the exercising of state sovereignty and power in a democratic manner through diplomatic negotiations.

Realism, proposed by Hans J. Morgenthau, is a theory that is rooted in empirical evidence such as observable and tangible evidence. Realism is characterized by the belief that individuals are fundamentally self-centered and greedy, and will travel to any extent in pursuit of power and influence. And, it argues that the state is the central actor in international affairs because it is autonomous and acts with a single voice in the global platform. According to the principles of Realism, the state operates by utilizing anarchical principles: the government issues and enforces laws and policies as the state sees fit, to manage interactions between citizens with and outside the state. More importantly, anarchy refers to the absence of a superior authority to govern state affairs; as such, nations mediate their own conflicts and enforce their own laws. In an anarchical state, the state is primarily concerned with security, survival, and self-interest which can sometimes present a challenge to international cooperation. And, because of this, it is often believed that morality and ethics are not factors that are considered in the survival of the state. In the eyes of a Realist, if the state is not accumulating power and influence by strengthening their military and increasing their wealth, they are vulnerable to invasion and are not competitive participants in the global stage. In other words, if a state feels secure because of its economic and militaristic standing, another state will be insecure of its status. Realism suggests that a nation is interested in maintaining a balance of power: it ensures its security by accumulating the same amount or more power than the competing nation. Concisely, the theory of Realism is focused on conflict in international relations, and suggests that to protect the state, the state must obtain more power and wealth through any means necessary, and must not concern itself with the affairs of other states. The Paris Agreement can also be examined by another lens: Liberalism.

Like Realism, Liberalism, a theory suggested by John Locke, is also based upon empirical evidence. However, in many ways, its principles oppose that of Realism. Liberalism is defined by the assumption that individuals primarily make decisions through rationality and morality; therefore, they will consider the ramifications of their actions before they act on them. It explains that there are other global actors, aside from the state, to hold the state accountable for its decisions. Some of these actors include non governmental organizations such as the World Health Organization, United Nations, and North Atlantic Treaty Organization; they support individual liberty and encourage limited government involvement in the state. Under the principles of Liberalism, the state is one voice in the global stage but it is influenced by other states and organizations as well. Unlike Realism, Liberalism argues that history is progressive and suggests that states have understood the importance of fostering international cooperation and peace. In addition, they have engaged in international trade and are economically interdependent, factors which reduce the probability of a large-scale conflict. International trade and economic interdependence allows countries to access a wide variety of goods and services that may otherwise not be available within their own borders. Because of this, under the circumstance that countries were to engage in conflict, they would strive to mediate it efficiently to prevent economic challenges. International laws and policies also hold the state accountable. For instance, if the laws that are devised by a non governmental organization are violated, other states may limit their interactions with that particular state, which could be devastating to the state’s economy and military. And, Liberalism supports the principles of democracy as they are both interconnected. Like Liberalism, democracy has several controls to ensure that government rule is legitimate. For instance, in a democratic society the leaders of government are elected by the citizens of the state, and can be re-elected as necessary, and the power of the government is balanced by different branches: Executive, Legislative, and Judicial. Thus, democracy reduces interstate and intrastate conflict. In short, the theory Liberalism provides a positive outlook on international affairs, encouraging international cooperation; it argues that conflict is unlikely due to international trade, economic interdependence, and democracy.

The Paris Agreement can be best explained by the principles of Liberalism. This is because it is the first climate change treaty that fosters international cooperation to achieve a common goal, and requires states to exercise their power collectively in a diplomatic manner. Additionally, the Paris Agreement, unlike the Kyoto Protocol, strives to include underdeveloped countries in the effort as well. The treaty encourages developed nations to provide financial assistance to underdeveloped countries to help them mitigate the struggles of adopting environmentally friendly practices, hoping to maximize benefits for all. As expected, these efforts are not necessarily economically friendly, and because the treaty emphasizes the inclusion of underdeveloped countries, international cooperation is demonstrated. Secondly, it holds countries that have signed the treaty accountable to international goals for reducing greenhouse gas emissions, by creating a transparent structure which allows all countries to monitor the progress. For instance, all participating nations are obligated to submit greenhouse gas emission inventories which are indexes that contain the source and amount of emissions per annum.

These submissions will be reviewed by specialized government officials, and under the circumstance that a country does not meet their expected goal, these officials will help the state to reach their goal, and penalties will not be imposed upon the state. As such, in relation with the principles of Liberalism, states are held accountable by other global actors such as these government officials, and the United Nations. Because the treaty focuses on supporting countries rather than penalizing them, it is clear that the agreement was designed under the belief that the leaders of countries are rational and moral. The United Nations believes that because leaders are fundamentally righteous, they will act in a socially responsible manner and strive to reach the standard to combat climate change. Additionally, it is evident that the United Nations is committed to resolving conflict in a diplomatic manner to avoid economic and trade disputes amongst countries. Therefore, the theory of Liberalism best supports the Paris Agreement because it encourages international collaboration to combat climate change, and holds states accountable for their actions, while still maintaining a positive outlook on conflict mediation and international relations.

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