G20: United States and China ratify the Paris Agreement
Environment — di Rudi Bressa
At the G20, the two countries, responsible for almost 40 per cent of global emissions, ratified the climate agreement. A historic event, from Cop21 to today.
G20: United States and China ratify the Paris Agreement
At the G20, the two countries, responsible for almost 40 per cent of global emissions, ratified the climate agreement. A historic event, from Cop21 to today.
The United States and China have ratified the Paris Agreement. The news comes from Hangzhou, China, where the G20 is under way. The leaders of the two countries have delivered to Ban Ki-moon, Secretary-General of the United Nations, the documents containing the declaration of intent.
Historic news, given that the two countries together produce more than 39 per cent of total CO2 emissions.
"This is not a battle that any single country, however powerful, can fight alone," President Obama declared in a statement released by the White House staff. "One day we may look back and see this as the moment we finally decided to save the planet."
"We're leading by example" - @potus on US & China ratifying Paris climate change deal bbc.in/2c23cYJ snpy.tv/2c0Qb2D
The news of the historic signing also came from the National People's Congress: its legislators voted in favour of "the proposal to ratify the Paris Agreement", according to a statement.
"This is a very strong signal to the entire planet. The commitments made in Paris in December 2015 are turning from mere agreements into concrete action, and the treaty's entry into force is now much closer," said Giuseppe Onufrio, executive director of Greenpeace Italy. "Today's announcement must not, however, be seen as a finishing line — the Paris Agreement must represent a starting point for the next global climate negotiations, not the achievement of a goal," Onufrio concluded.
"The ratification of the agreement reached at Cop21 in Paris by the United States and China marks a historic step in the effort to tackle climate change and towards the sustainable transformation of the global economic model. Within the framework of Europe's ambitious commitments, Italy is working to define its ratification law, with the aim of submitting it to Parliament by September and completing the parliamentary process as swiftly as possible," wrote Foreign Minister Paolo Gentiloni and Environment Minister Gian Luca Galletti in a joint statement.
What the Paris Agreement provides for
The adoption of the final text last December, during Cop 21, requires signatory countries to commit to limiting the increase in the planet's global temperature to below 2 degrees Celsius, and to "pursue efforts to try to avoid exceeding 1.5 degrees". Among other commitments, states undertook to "reach the peak of greenhouse gas emissions as soon as possible" so as to achieve "rapid reductions thereafter" and to reach "a balance between emissions from human activities and greenhouse gas removals in the second half of this century".
Who has ratified to date
As of today, 3 September 2016, 180 countries have signed. Of these, 26 states have deposited instruments of ratification, acceptance or approval. These signatures represent a total of 39.06 per cent of global greenhouse gas emissions. For the agreement to enter into force, at least 55 countries must join, reaching the threshold of 55 per cent of global emissions.
"Just as I believe the Paris Agreement will ultimately prove to be a turning point for our planet – Obama concluded – history will judge today's efforts to be pivotal."