More Than 170 Countries Sign Paris Agreement in a Landmark for the Climate Fight

Heads of state and high level diplomats from more than 170 countries signed the Paris Agreement at the United Nations Friday, a key step toward implementing the world’s most significant agreement to address global warming. The strong show of support on Earth Day from countries representing 93% of global greenhouse gas emissions furthered hopes that the agreement will take effect later this year. No prior global agreement has received some many signatories on the first day. “Today is a day to mark and celebrate the hard work done by so many to win the battle of securing the Paris Agreement,” Secretary of State John Kerry Kerry said at a speech at the U.N. Friday. “But knowing what we know, this is also a day to recommit ourselves to actually win this war.” At least 55 countries representing 55% of the world’s greenhouse gas emissions must ratify—not just sign—the agreement for it to be implemented. The ratification process, which is subject to the internal politics and procedures of each country, has held up past agreements including the notorious Kyoto Protocol. Read More: Paris Agreement Signing Comes at Critical Juncture for the Planet Supporters of them Paris Agreement say that ratification should not be a problem this time around. The document—agreed to in December—was crafted carefully to ensure countries could ratify the document without complicated political fights. Some elements like reporting requirements ar...
Source: TIME: Top Science and Health Stories - Category: Science Authors: Tags: Uncategorized climate change Source Type: news