USA and China agree to ratify Paris climate deal

• 8 years ago (2016-09-05)
• David Flin

Asia 892 North America 1021

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The USA and China, the world’s biggest emitters of greenhouse gases, have announced that they will both formally ratify the Paris climate change agreement.

On 3 September, Barack Obama, US President, confirmed the US ratification, which followed extensive negotiations by Chinese and US officials. Obama said: “Just as I believe the Paris agreement will ultimately prove to be a turning point for our planet, I believe that history will judge today’s efforts as pivotal. Where there is a will and there is a vision, and where countries like China and the USA are prepared to show leadership and to lead by example, it is possible for us to create a world that is more secure, more prosperous and more free than the one that was left for us.”

Earlier, China had announced that it would formally ratify the Paris accord, with President Xi vowing to “unwaveringly pursue sustainable development.”

Xi said: “Our response to climate change bears on the future of our people and the well-being of mankind.”

David Waskow, International Climate Director of the World Resources Institute, a Washington-based think-tank, described the US-China announcement as a sign that the world’s two largest economies had moved from “making commitments to delivering action.” He said: “When the two largest emitters lock arms to solve climate change, you know you are on the right track. Never before have these two countries worked so closely together to address a global challenge.”

The Paris Agreement must be ratified by 55 countries representing 55 per cent of global emissions in order to come into force. The formal ratification by the USA and China, who are together responsible for about 38 per cent of emissions, is a major step towards achieving that.