Franklin Orr

The Climate Change Agreement: What's Next?

Aimée Christensen, Richard Friend, Hua Jingdong, Fred Krupp, Franklin Orr, Amy Christensen

Building on the Paris Agreement's global framework, 195 nations have committed to Nationally Determined Contributions while specific initiatives like Mission Innovation and the Breakthrough Energy Coalition mobilize 28 investors and 20 governments to double energy R&D funding. Despite these financial mechanisms and a 50% drop in renewable energy costs, current trajectories still project a 2.7°C temperature rise, necessitating an additional $770 billion in annual capital to bridge the gap toward carbon neutrality by 2050. Success now hinges on dismantling regulatory barriers, expanding carbon pricing markets, and addressing the social risks that could push 100 million more people into poverty without targeted climate resilience strategies.