The United States has joined China to formally ratify the Paris agreement to curb climate-warming emissions.
In Paris 2015, nearly 200 countries agreed on a binding global compact to slash greenhouse gases and keep global temperature increases to “well below” 2 degrees Celsius.
The US and China together are responsible for 40% of the world’s carbon emissions.
The Paris deal is the world’s first comprehensive climate agreement. It will only come into force legally after it is ratified by at least 55 countries, which between them produce 55% of global carbon emissions.
China represents just over 20 percent of global emissions while the United States accounting for 17.9 percent, Russia 7.5 percent and India 4.1 percent.
Paris agreement: Key points
-To keep global temperature increase “well below” 2C and to pursue efforts to limit it to 1.5C
-To peak greenhouse gas emissions as soon as possible and achieve a balance between sources and sinks of greenhouse gases in the second half of this century
-To review progress every five years
-$100bn a year in climate finance for developing countries by 2020, with a commitment to further finance in the future
-Once the deal comes into force, countries that have ratified it have to wait for a minimum of three years before they exit
Before China and the United States, 23 nations had ratified – including North Korea – but they collectively accounted for just 1.08 percent of global emissions.