Leonardo DiCaprio has told leaders “the world is watching” as they sign an historic agreement to combat climate change.
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After signing, countries must approve the Paris Agreement through their domestic procedures.
The aim of the agreement is to keep global warming below 2 degrees Celsius and to limit the temperature increase even further to 1.5 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels.
Said US Secretary of State John Kerry: “The urgency of this challenge is only becoming more pronounced… the United States looks forward to formally joining this agreement this year and we call on all of our worldwide partners to do so”.
More than 60 presidents and prime ministers, as well as dozens of other top officials from more than 130 countries are gathered in NY to sign the climate change deal reached in Paris in December.
Speaking at the opening ceremony, UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon stressed the importance of today’s event, calling this agreement “a deal with the future”.
The world’s biggest emitters, the United States and China, have previously indicated they would ratify the agreement this year, with a view to bringing it into effect as soon as possible.
By signing the agreement, Jamaica gains access to technology transfer and financial, technical and capacity building support for adaptation and mitigation activities to address the impact of climate change. “We must intensify efforts to reduce the dependence of our economies on hydrocarbons”, TASS quotes him as saying.
“If the governments aren’t prepared to turn these kinds of agreements into binding emission reductions back in the country, and actually shut things down like, for example, we need to see the Huntly coal power station stop operating now”. It will enter into force 30 days after at least 55 countries, accounting for 55 percent of global greenhouse gas emissions, deposit their instruments of ratification.
The gathering of world leaders – the largest ever of its kind – heard from people who will be affected most by climate change in the future, such as 16-year-old United Nations youth representative Gertrude Clement from Tanzania.
China became the 21st signatory as Vice Premier Zhang Gaoli, the special envoy of President Xi Jinping, announced the country would ratify the pact before the G20 Hangzhou summit in September.
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Last month was the hottest March in modern history and 2016 is shaping up as a record-breaking year for rising global temperatures.
