10 The Paris Agreement sets forth an ambitious global collective goal to hold the Earth’s warming well below 2 degrees with efforts to limit warming to 1.5 degrees above pre-industrial levels. In order to achieve the goal of net-zero emissions within this century, the agreement establishes a long-term framework guided by 5-year review cycles, including a close watch on the 2030 targets by 2020. Stabilization of the greenhouse gas concentrations mean countries must put forward more ambitious targets progressively. The Paris Agreement had adopted a hybrid paradigm with a bottomup flexible nationally-driven approach combined with an international top-down system of rules to encourage ambition. What this essentially means is that the key to solving the climate crisis lies in concrete domestic and grassroots actions and solutions. As to ambition, the aim of strengthening the global response by “holding the increase in the global average temperature to well below 2 °C above pre-industrial levels and to pursue efforts to limit the temperature increase to 1.5 °C above preindustrial levels” is again a diplomatic sleight of hand to appease the clamor for higher ambition but falling back on a six-year-old agreed threshold and spinning it publicly as a novel milestone. The world continues to increase its reliance on fossil fuels, the main culprit behind climate change. In order to protect the most vulnerable, it is imperative for the world’s governments and businesses to abandon dirty energy and shift to a new paradigm of economic development. Until this happens, the world is committing a big injustice to the most vulnerable. As it stands, the collective actions pledged by all nations are not yet enough to ensure a safer climate, and as long as the spectre of unfettered climate change hangs over our heads, adaptation will always be a moving goal beyond our reach. Right now, the financial support pledged for vulnerable countries to adapt to climate change pales in comparison to what is needed. From latest data in 2016, adaptation finance only hovers below 7% of total climate finance flows globally, with 93% going into mitigation projects. Heralded as the “start of a new beginning” and the spark of a continuing process, it is global procrastination notwithstanding. If we are to be truly honest about the Paris Agreement, we will see why the Paris Agreement is a shameless euphemism for the betrayal of the world’s most vulnerable. It is akin to a new year's resolution. It is high on promises, but suspect on realization. Do we remain hopeful? Indeed our hearts are filled with hope, because even if the Agreement changes some things, the people will change everything. Despite being treated largely as spectators on the sidelines, the people’s global movement for climate justice has put itself in the forefront and has become stronger than ever. And especially for people of goodwill, the beautiful awakening marches on.