This research article seeks to address two legal issues in the 2015 international climate change negotiations: the 'legal form' and the 'legal nature'.

The paper argues that the effectiveness of this agreement will hinge on these legal issues. On legal form, the paper highlights that there is scope for a range of possibilities, some of which are binding and others which are not. The paper identifies the instruments that will likely form part of the Paris package and explores the characteristic features of each with a particular focus on their legal status, significance and influence.

In addressing the issue of the ‘legal nature’ of nationally determined contributions submitted by Parties, the paper considers the nature and scope of contributions, the range of options for ‘housing’ them, as well as their relationship to the core 2015 agreement. It also considers the extent to which the legal nature of contributions may be differentiated across types of contributions (such as on mitigation, adaptation, finance or technology) and/or groups of Parties (such as developed and developing).

[Adapted from source]