The speed of the achievement represents a remarkable feat given that the domestic processes to formally join such an worldwide agreement can often stretch years.
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“I believe that adopting the Paris Agreement is the most meaningful and important achievement in the history of humankind, which can serve as a foundation for a new climate regime”, she said. The document establishes targets to be adopted by the country, with the aim to stop the rise in global temperature.
Singapore has ratified the Paris Agreement, thus formally committing itself to reducing climate change.
If the European Union, the world’s third-largest emitter, speeds up its ratification, it could win the symbolic prize of triggering the accord’s formal adoption.
The 30 ratifications expected to be handed to U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon at a special event at U.N. headquarters in NY on Wednesday would bring the total to 58 countries – but many are small and their total emissions likely won’t reach the required 55 percent.
The historic global climate accord reached last December in Paris is moving rapidly toward enactment, with 60 countries – representing 48% of all greenhouse gas emissions – having formally approved it as of Wednesday.
For the treaty to become law, or “take legal force”, at least 55 countries responsible for at least 55 percent of greenhouse gas emissions need to have filed documents known as “instruments of ratification”, indicating they’re ready to join the pact.
She added that if the European Union does not ratify the agreement soon, more pressure will be put on other major emitters such as Russia, India, Indonesia, Japan, Canada, Australia and South Korea to ratify the deal.
August was the warmest such month on record, according to NASA.
One of the two thresholds for entry into force has now been met. “I am convinced that the Paris Agreement will enter into force before the end of 2016”. And others never go into force at all. “What once seemed impossible now seems inevitable”. Climate experts this week are watching closely for any Paris pact filings from those countries, some combination of which would help get the agreement over the limit, said Alex Hanafi, an official with the Environmental Defense Fund. “And in order to reclaim its role as a true climate leader it must take early action, before 2020, to ensure that keeping the world below 1.5 degree warming is not an elusive dream”, said Adriano Campolina, ActionAid Chief Executive. “This rapid pace reflects a spirit of cooperation rarely seen on a global scale”, Caballero said in a statement. Besides EU, the countries that announced their commitment to join the Agreement in 2016 included Austria, Australia, Bulgaria, Cambodia, Canada, Costa Rica, Cote d’Ivoire, France, Germany, Hungary, Kazakhstan, New Zealand, Poland, and the Republic of Korea.
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If the agreement goes into force this year, it’s possible that a Trump administration could limit USA participation or try to nullify the agreement and renegotiate it in some way, as the candidate has said he would do. Scientists have said that, if fully implemented, the plan would still only reduce emissions by half as much as necessary to prevent a global temperature increase of 3.6 degrees Fahrenheit. “It’s a sign of the strong worldwide consensus behind the Paris Agreement”.
