On 12 December 2015, 194 countries and the EU adopted the new "Paris Agreement" under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change. Ecologic Institute’s Ralph Bodle and Lena Donat had supported the German Delegation for several years and were on the EU negotiating team up to and in Paris.

The Paris Agreement anchors the objective of limiting global warming to "well below" 2 degrees Celsius and also to pursue efforts to limit the temperature increase further to 1.5 degrees. Global emissions are supposed to peak as soon as possible, and then to be rapidly reduced to a balance between emissions and removals "in the second half of the century". It also explicitly aims at redirecting finance flows towards low greenhouse gas emissions and climate-resilient development.

Under the agreement, all parties submit national climate plans and review and update them every five years. Each successive climate plan is supposed to be a progression beyond previous ambition. In addition, the Agreement also strengthens action on, and support for, adaptation, capacity building and "loss and damage". Implementation is tracked through reporting under a "transparency framework" that builds on the existing Framework Convention and has clear reporting obligations on all parties, with in-built flexibility and support for developing countries.

The Paris Agreement is a treaty under international law and will enter into force after 55 countries that account for at least 55% of global emissions have deposited their instruments of ratification.