What will climate diplomacy look like after Paris? And what can the United States do in Paris, if anything, to make sure the years that follow trigger as much climate progress as the past few years?

This essay explores these questions: first looking at what Paris will achieve and the global emissions gap, then identifying opportunities to spur climate action and potentially narrow the gap through international partnerships between developed and developing nations, and finally exploring opportunities for the United States in December to help define the post-Paris international climate agenda around these partnerships, with specific recommendations for the Obama administration.