. 24/7 Space News .
CLIMATE SCIENCE
China, US join record UN signing of Paris climate deal
By Carole LANDRY
United Nations, United States (AFP) April 22, 2016


A record 175 countries, including the world's top polluters China and the United States, signed the Paris climate deal Friday, boosting hopes of quick action on combating global warming.

French President Francois Hollande was the first leader to put his signature to the accord during a ceremony at the United Nations, followed by leaders from island-states hardest hit by climate change.

US Secretary of State John Kerry came to the podium cradling his two-year-old granddaughter Isabelle and triggered warm applause from delegates as he signed the historic deal.

It was the largest ever one-day signing of an international agreement.

Held on Earth Day, the ceremony comes four months after the hard-won deal was clinched in Paris and marks a first step toward binding countries to the promises they made to cut greenhouse gas emissions.

"This is a moment in history," UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon told leaders gathered at the UN General Assembly.

"Today you are signing a new covenant with the future."

Holdout countries still have a year to sign the deal, but the focus has now turned to swift ratification and entry into force before the target date of 2020.

The Paris agreement will come into force when 55 countries responsible for 55 percent of the world's greenhouse gases have ratified it.

Together the signatories at the UN ceremony account for 93 percent of global greenhouse gases, according to calculations by the World Resource Institute.

France's parliament will give final approval before this summer, Hollande said, urging the 28-nation European Union to "lead by example" and ratify the deal before the end of the year.

Momentum is building to ensure the agreement enters into force quickly.

China and the United States said they will ratify this year and are pushing for others to follow suit so that the agreement becomes operational possibly as early as late 2016 or in 2017.

Caught in election-year turmoil, the United States plans to ratify the Paris accord with an executive agreement, bypassing the Senate and setting up a complex process for any future president wishing to pull out.

- World now watching -

Canada's Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said he would ask parliament next month to endorse the accord with a vote this year and pledged to help developing countries confront the challenge.

"They shouldn't be punished for a problem they didn't create nor should they be denied the opportunities of clean growth," said Trudeau, drawing loud applause.

Actor and environmental campaigner Leonardo DiCaprio urged leaders on, telling them: "The world is now watching".

"You will either be lauded by future generations or vilified by them," he said.

A total of 15 countries or parties, most of them island-states, formally presented the completed ratification to the United Nations.

"Some may say it's only a small step. We need to make it a huge one," said the prime minister of the Polynesian island of Tuvalu, Enele Sosene Sopoaga.

Agreed by 195 nations, the Paris deal sets the goal of limiting global warming to "well below" 3.6 degrees Fahrenheit (two Celsius) above pre-industrial levels, by moving to clean energy.

Ban stressed that the window for keeping the global temperature rise in check was rapidly closing.

Last month was the hottest March in modern history and 2016 is shaping up as a record-breaking year for rising global temperatures.

This year's El Nino -- dubbed "Darth Nino" -- is wreaking havoc, with droughts, floods, severe storms and other extreme weather patterns.

The signing ceremony was seen as a triumph for Ban, who pushed for the deal throughout his tenure and has listed the agreement in Paris as one of his proudest moments as UN chief.


Thanks for being here;
We need your help. The SpaceDaily news network continues to grow but revenues have never been harder to maintain.

With the rise of Ad Blockers, and Facebook - our traditional revenue sources via quality network advertising continues to decline. And unlike so many other news sites, we don't have a paywall - with those annoying usernames and passwords.

Our news coverage takes time and effort to publish 365 days a year.

If you find our news sites informative and useful then please consider becoming a regular supporter or for now make a one off contribution.
SpaceDaily Contributor
$5 Billed Once


credit card or paypal
SpaceDaily Monthly Supporter
$5 Billed Monthly


paypal only


.


Related Links
Climate Science News - Modeling, Mitigation Adaptation






Comment on this article via your Facebook, Yahoo, AOL, Hotmail login.

Share this article via these popular social media networks
del.icio.usdel.icio.us DiggDigg RedditReddit GoogleGoogle

Previous Report
CLIMATE SCIENCE
From Paris to New York, climate pact to cross next hurdle
Paris (AFP) April 20, 2016
Four months after settling on a plan to stave off calamitous global warming, more than 160 nations gather in New York Friday to ink the pact whose execution demands a radical overhaul of the global economy. After the Champagne moment when the world community sealed the hard-fought agreement in Paris on December 12, signing the document is an important step. The next, and final, procedura ... read more


CLIMATE SCIENCE
Supernova iron found on the moon

Russia to shift all Lunar launches to Vostochny Cosmodrome

Lunar lava tubes could help pave way for human colony

The Moon thought to play a major role in maintaining Earth's magnetic field

CLIMATE SCIENCE
Rover mini-walkabout to find clay mineral continues

Russia, Italy plan first bid to explore beneath mars surface in 2018

First light for ExoMars

First joint EU-Russian ExoMars mission to reach Mars orbit Oct 16

CLIMATE SCIENCE
NASA blasts Orion Service Module with giant horns

Concept's success buoys Commercial Crew's path to flight

New, fast solar wind propulsion system is aim of NASA, UAH study

China, India pave the way to BRICS cooperation in space

CLIMATE SCIENCE
Chinese scientists develop mammal embryos in space for first time

Re-entry capsule of SJ-10 lands in Northern China

China begins testing Tiangong-2 space lab

Lessons learned from Tiangong 1

CLIMATE SCIENCE
BEAM successfully installed to the International Space Station

NASA to test first expandable habitat on ISS

Dragon and Cygnus To Meet For First Time In Space

Russian cargo ship docks successfully with space station

CLIMATE SCIENCE
Arianespace cooperation with Russia remains smooth amid sanctions

Orbital ATK awarded major sounding rocket contract by NASA

SpaceX lands rocket on ocean platform for first time

SpaceX cargo arrives at crowded space station

CLIMATE SCIENCE
Lone planetary-mass object found in family of stars

University of Massachusetts Lowell PICTURE-B Mission Completed

Stars strip away atmospheres of nearby super-Earths

1917 astronomical plate has first-ever evidence of exoplanetary system

CLIMATE SCIENCE
Thanks, actin, for the memories

Generation of tailored magnetic materials

Using methane rather than flaring it

Progress of simulating dynamics in heterogeneous materials









The content herein, unless otherwise known to be public domain, are Copyright 1995-2024 - Space Media Network. All websites are published in Australia and are solely subject to Australian law and governed by Fair Use principals for news reporting and research purposes. AFP, UPI and IANS news wire stories are copyright Agence France-Presse, United Press International and Indo-Asia News Service. ESA news reports are copyright European Space Agency. All NASA sourced material is public domain. Additional copyrights may apply in whole or part to other bona fide parties. All articles labeled "by Staff Writers" include reports supplied to Space Media Network by industry news wires, PR agencies, corporate press officers and the like. Such articles are individually curated and edited by Space Media Network staff on the basis of the report's information value to our industry and professional readership. Advertising does not imply endorsement, agreement or approval of any opinions, statements or information provided by Space Media Network on any Web page published or hosted by Space Media Network. General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) Statement Our advertisers use various cookies and the like to deliver the best ad banner available at one time. All network advertising suppliers have GDPR policies (Legitimate Interest) that conform with EU regulations for data collection. By using our websites you consent to cookie based advertising. If you do not agree with this then you must stop using the websites from May 25, 2018. Privacy Statement. Additional information can be found here at About Us.