Landing the Paris Climate Agreement: How It Happened, Why It Matters, and What Comes Next

by Todd Stern

From the U.S. lead negotiator on climate change, an inside account of the seven-year negotiation that culminated in the Paris Climate Agreement in 2015—and where the international climate effort needs to go from here.The 2015 Paris Agreement on climate change was one of the most difficult and hopeful achievements of the twenty-first 195 nations finally agreed, after 20 years of trying, to establish an ambitious, operational regime to address one of the greatest civilizational challenges of our time. In Landing the Paris Climate Agreement, Todd Stern, the chief US negotiator on climate change, provides an engaging account from inside the rooms where it the full, charged, seven-year story of how the Paris Agreement came to be, following an arc from Copenhagen, to Durban, to the secret U.S.-China climate deal in 2014, to Paris itself.With a storyteller’s gift for character, suspense, and detail, Stern crafts a high-stakes narrative that illuminates the strategy, policy, politics, and diplomacy that made Paris possible. Introducing readers to a vivid cast of characters, including Xie Zenhua, Vice Minister of China’s National Development and Reform Commission, Bo Lidegaard, chief strategist for Denmark’s Prime Minster, and Indian minister Jairam Ramesh, Stern, who worked alongside President Barack Obama and Secretaries of State John Kerry and Hillary Clinton, depicts the pitfalls and challenges overcome, the shifting alliances, the last-minute maneuvering, and the ultimate historic success. The book concludes with a final chapter that describes key developments since 2015 and the author’s reflections on what needs to be done going forward to contain the climate threat.A unique peek behind the curtain of one of the most important international agreements of our time, Landing the Paris Climate Agreement is a vital and fascinating read for anyone who cares about the future of our one shared home.

Genres: Science, Politics, Nonfiction, Climate Change, History

280 pages, Hardcover

Published October 8, 2024

Reviews

[Akhil · Rating 3 out of 5]

You’ll enjoy this book if you want a detailed, blow by blow account of US climate diplomacy in the Obama years. That’s basically what it is, with a chapter tacked on at the end that takes stock of the progress made from 2015-2023 or so. The book is heavily biased towards the author’s point of view (and does not pretend not to be), so readers interested in a more broad perspective may not get much out of it.

One issue that I felt was given short shrift was that of CBRD: common but differentiated responsibilities. Again and again we are made to see China and other developing countries as wrong for insisting on this provision, but given the historical emissions of developed countries, not to mention other events in world history, is this really fair? Generally the author’s position seems to be “the past is the past, now we all need to get on board.” Climate finance is similarly framed. So, a fairly biased book but it doesn’t pretend to be objective anyways.

3 stars.

[Kristopher Larsen · Rating 3 out of 5]

A wonky good read. Seriously a book for wonks who want to know how major agreements get done, who was in the room at 3am arguing the meaning of 'for' vs 'of' and how long it takes to really make progress on international agreements.

[Tina Panik]

Reviewed for Library Journal; full review appears there.

[Jesse Young · Rating 5 out of 5]

A thoughtful, meticulous history of the U.S. effort to negotiate the Paris Agreement. Provides a lot of insight into the many moments in which the whole effort nearly ran aground -- and all the key players who spent years quietly building the diplomatic momentum that produced the Agreement in December 2015.

[Hélène Van Rossum · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book - it brings good story telling to the real life story of the Paris agreement with a colourful cast of characters and fun anecdotes. Having been in the climate circuit for a few years definitely made me enjoy the book more and it may not be as enjoyable for an audience non familiar with the world of climate negotiations.

[V · Rating 2 out of 5]

I get what Todd Stern was trying to do but it felt too much like a personal journal (and a bit self aggrandizing) than I'm okay with. That said, a truly inspiring contribution - cannot imagine it was easy.

[Anna Pérez Català · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another great book for COP nerds. It gives a full perspective of the US influence and priorities in the years before and during Paris. It is of course biased towards the position of the country, but that to me also makes it interesting. I also thought it was quite well written.

[Chema · Rating 4 out of 5]

si te interesa saber un jueves por la noche de 2022 quienes están comiendo pizza fría en u. Hotel mientras hacían un borrador el acuerdo de Paris

[Thomas · Rating 4 out of 5]

It is important the Todd Stern documented the l-o-n-g process involved to end up with the Paris Climate Agreement. As a climate advocate, I would consider international cooperation to solve the Climate Crisis to be a no-brainer and people would be foolish not to take immediate action. Unfortunately, few people have the same view as I do and most just can't connect the dots of how things continue to get worse. It's 10 years since the Paris agreement and the impact of it is not showing significant progress. The fossil fuel industry is continuing to stall progress to keep their profits up. It took an extended and well-crafted finesse to get the international politicians to agree to the Agreement. Unfortunately deniers such as Trump are reversing progress and accelerating the crisis.