World Gives The Paris Climate Agreement An Official Voice

Photo: U.S. Department of State.

For the agreement to formally take effect, it was pertinent that at least 55 countries, which together contribute to 55 per cent of global carbon emissions, ratify it. This has finally happened, after India and the European nations, on October 2 and October 5, 2016, respectively, joined the list of countries that have ratified the Paris climate agreement.  As per the UN website, 73 countries out of the 195 have ratified the agreement. The combined global emissions of these countries exceeds 55 per cent which makes the agreement officially implementable.

At the Paris Climate Conference, India had stressed on asking developed countries with large carbon footprints to regulate their climate laws and actions more resolutely than others, so as to not impede the development goals of developing nations. The Paris agreement, which should take effect within 30 days, applies in equal measure to all the signing parties.

This historic move consolidates global efforts to fight carbon emissions and dangerously rising temperatures.

Sources:

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