The 2015 Paris Climate Agreement

Finally, 195 countries around the world came to an agreement on how to address climate change through such measures as curbing greenhouse gas emissions, and financial aid from rich to poor countries as they follow their individual paths to economic development.

Only time will tell whether the ambitious agreement will take hold once countries are able to begin signing, and then ratifying the measures from April 2016. Moreover, the agreement will only come into effect if 55 countries, representing 55 percent of global greenhouse gas emissions ratify the agreement by 2020. Even then, the text only contains "aims" and "promises" from countries rather than more specific targets attached to negative consequences for not adopting them within a set time range. (For the full text of the agreement, click on the hyperlink: 2015 Paris Agreement.)

Following suit, the first video below offers a brief summary of the agreement itself, while the second explains some common misconceptions about climate change.

What you need to know about the Paris climate agreement (video: USA Today, 12/12/2015)

What people get wrong about climate change (video: VOX, 12/12/2015)