4 Nov (NucNet): The historic Paris agreement on climate change has entered into force, marking the first time that governments have agreed legally binding limits to global temperature rises.
The agreement entered into force today (4 November 2016), 30 days after an agreed threshold was reached with at least 55 parties – accounting between them for at least 55% of total global greenhouse gas emissions – ratifying the deal.
The threshold was reached on 5 October 2016 when the European Parliament approved the agreement’s ratification by the European Union.
The United Nations said that of 197 parties to the agreement, 97 have now ratified it. According to information on the UN website, China and the US ratified the agreement on 3 September 2016.
The agreement was approved by 197 countries at COP21 in Paris in December 2015.
Under the agreement, all nations have agreed to combat climate change and to “unleash actions and investment towards a low carbon, resilient and sustainable future that will keep a global average temperature rise well below 2 degrees Celsius with the accepted international aim of working to limit it to 1.5 degrees Celsius”, the UN said.
Next week, governments will meet in Morocco under the auspices of the United Nations to discuss how to put the Paris agreement into force, and meet its aims.
