The decision was made for the European Union to ratify earlier today during a plenary session in Strasbourg, France.
The ratification document will be deposited this week at the UN, which will enable the Paris Agreement to take effect 30 days later – in time for COP22 in Marrakech, Morocco.
The President of the European Commission, Jean-Claude Juncker, said: “Today the European Union turned climate ambition into climate action.”
China, the US and India ratified on 2 and 3 October.
The EU, with 28 members, accounts for 12 per cent of global emissions, which is enough to reach the 55 per cent required for the entry into force of the agreement.
As the EU parliament has approved, the bloc of countries will not have to wait until each country finalize the domestic approval procedures to join the Paris Agreement.
The union have targets to reduce greenhouse gases emissions by at least 40 per cent by 2030 compared with 1990 levels.
EU Climate and Energy Commissioner, Miguel Arias Canete, said: “We have the policies and tools to meet our targets, steer the global clean energy transition and modernize our economy... The world is moving and Europe is in a driver’s seat, confident and proud of leading the work to tackle climate change.”
* Published in www.climateactionprogramme.org
By: N. Peter Kramer
