Paris climate treaty fails key goal—but experts say it still matters

Ten years after the Paris climate treaty, its key temperature goal has been missed. Yet experts say the agreement still serves as a vital moral compass for progress. The warning signs appeared before the 2025 climate summit in Belém, Brazil. Ahead of the talks, Brazilian hosts removed the issue most expected to dominate: concrete national plans for cutting greenhouse gas emissions. Brazil insisted these plans—the foundation of the Paris agreement—belong to national governments and are not open to negotiation. "In that case, it will be a very short Cop," one experienced negotiator from the global south told the Guardian before the summit. "There is nothing to negotiate." The move reflected widespread unease among delegates.