Landmark Paris Agreement opens for signing April 22

BY DOYIN ADEOYE
ALTHOUGH the world rightly celebrated when 195 countries adopted the new international climate agreement at the COP21 in Paris in December last year, what is important to ensure that the Agreement quickly comes into effect and is fully implemented, is that each country must now sign and indicate their consent to be bound by the Agreement.

To this end, United Nations (UN) Secretary-General, Ban Ki-moon has invited all world leaders to a signing ceremony on 22 April, for the climate agreement. Coinciding with the observance of the International Mother Earth Day, the UN executive is also using the occasion to further engage business leaders to put the new agreement into action.

“Leaders’ participation could also facilitate the early entry into force of the Paris Agreement and provide for the smooth finalisation of the operational details needed to give effect to the provisions of the new Agreement,” Ban Ki-moon said in his invitation letter.

For many stakeholders, it is until the agreement is signed that nations can then begin to celebrate, because at least 55 countries, representing at least 55 per cent of global greenhouse gas emissions, are needed to ratify the agreement before it can take legal effect.

The Agreement which is aimed at keeping a global temperature rise at no more than 2 degrees Celsius, and to strive for a limit of 1.5 degrees Celsius if possible, for the period 2020-2030, is a critical turning point towards a climate-resilient world.

“The adoption of the Paris Agreement caps a remarkable year of multilateral achievements for people and the planet. It provides a solid foundation for the low-carbon, climate-resilient transformation of the global economy. And this transformation will help secure a future that is safer, healthier and more prosperous for all,” Ban Ki-moon said in his invitation.

The signing event will take place at the UN Headquarters in New York on 22 April, after which it will then be opened for signature for one year, that is until 21 April, 2017.