China, U.S. hand over instruments of joining Paris Agreement to Ban Ki-moon

[ahojunk]

I had a giggle when I read this. What have happened to all the other developed countries. China is still a developing country, albeit a big one.

--------
China, U.S. hand over instruments of joining Paris Agreement to Ban Ki-moon
(Xinhua) 10:00, September 04, 2016

Chinese President Xi Jinping addresses the deposit of China's and United States' instruments of joining the Paris Agreement in Hangzhou, capital city of east China's Zhejiang Province, Sept. 3, 2016. (Xinhua/Li Tao)

HANGZHOU, Sept. 3 -- Presidents of China and the United States handed over their countries' instruments of joining the Paris Agreement separately to Secretary-General of the United Nations Ban Ki-moon on Saturday in Hangzhou.

Chinese President Xi Jinping said that climate change concerns the well-being and future of humanity. The Paris Agreement has charted the course for post-2020 global cooperation against climate change, and it indicates that a cooperative, win-win, equitable and fair climate governance mechanism is being shaped.

The handover of the legal document is a new and solemn commitment of the Chinese government, he said.

Depositing the documents together, China and the United States have displayed their ambition and determination to jointly tackle a global challenge, Xi said.

Taking advantage of implementing the Paris Agreement, the international community should make greater efforts to improve global governance mechanism and innovate on relevant actions, so as to facilitate the full operation of the agreement, the president said.

Developed countries should honor their commitments and provide financial and technological support to developing countries and enhance their capability in climate actions, Xi said.

China, a responsible developing country and an active player in global climate governance, will implement its development concepts of innovative, coordinated, green, open and shared growth, fully advance energy conservation, emission reduction and low-carbon development, and embrace the new era of ecological civilization, he said.

Chinese President Xi Jinping (C), U.S. President Barack Obama (R) and Secretary-General of the United Nations Ban Ki-moon attend the deposit of instruments of joining the Paris Agreement in Hangzhou, capital city of east China's Zhejiang Province, Sept. 3, 2016. (Xinhua/Li Tao)

 

[Hamartia Antidote]

I had a giggle when I read this. What have happened to all the other developed countries. China is still a developing country, albeit a big one.

What do you mean? I think almost every country on the planet had signed it back in April except for the US and China.

http://www.euronews.com/2016/04/22/paris-climate-accord-is-signed-by-record-175-countries

 

[Economic superpower]

What do you mean? I think almost every country on the planet had signed it except for the US and China.

Did your country sign it?

 

[Hamartia Antidote]

Did your country sign it?

yes

April 2016

 

[ahojunk]

Great, after signing the next stage is ratifying the agreement.

--------
China's legislature ratifies Paris Agreement on climate change
(Xinhua) 09:27, September 03, 2016

BEIJING, Sept. 3 -- China's top legislature on Saturday ratified the Paris Agreement on climate change, a significant international legal document that outlines post-2020 global climate governance.

Lawmakers voted to adopt "the proposal to review and ratify the Paris Agreement," at the closing meeting of the week-long bimonthly session of the National People's Congress Standing Committee.

The much-anticipated Paris Agreement on climate change is the third document to attempt to address climate change, following the 1992 United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change and the 1997 Kyoto Protocol.

BIGGER ROLE IN GLOBAL CLIMATE GOVERNANCE

"Ratifying the agreement accords with China's policy of actively dealing with climate change," according to the proposal, which added that addressing climate change would help the country realize sustainable development.

The ratification will "further advance China's green, low-carbon development and safeguard environmental security," it said.

"Ratifying the agreement is conducive to China's development interests," and it will also help the country "play a bigger role in global climate governance," according to the proposal.

China signed the Paris Agreement at UN Headquarters in New York on April 22, Earth Day, sending a strong messaging to the international community as it joins forces against global warming.

Vice Premier Zhang Gaoli, the special envoy of President Xi Jinping, signed the document and announced that China aimed to finalize domestic legal procedures to ratify the pact before the G20 summit in Hangzhou.

On Dec. 12, 2015, after nearly two weeks of hard bargaining, negotiators representing 196 parties to the UN conference on climate change in Paris (COP21) sealed the pact, aiming to reverse temperature increases, mainly caused by carbon emissions.

The agreement sets a target of holding the global average rise in temperature below 2 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels, and preferably below 1.5 degrees.

It is a major milestone for global climate negotiations, especially after the failed climate summit in Copenhagen, Denmark, in 2009 and disputes among countries on their responsibilities.

Environmental experts said that, during the Paris negotiations, China helped resolve several thorny issues.

To fulfill its commitment to the Paris climate pact, China will have to cut its carbon emissions per unit of GDP by 60-65 percent by 2030 from 2005 levels, increase non-fossil fuel sources in primary energy consumption to about 20 percent, and peak its carbon emissions by 2030.

These targets were reflected in China's intended national determined contribution (INDCs) and also in its 13th Five-Year Plan (2016-2020).

After the signing, the Paris Agreement is still missing the support of 55 nations that account for 55 percent of global greenhouse gas emissions before it can enter into force.

Countries still have one year to ink the agreement as it is open for signatures until April 21, 2017.

 

[JSCh]

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paris_Agreement#Parties_and_signatories

As of 3 September 2016, 179 states and the European Union have signed the Agreement. Twenty-six (26) of those states have ratified or acceded to the Agreement, most notably China and the United States, the countries with the two largest greenhouse gas emissions of the signatories' total (about 38% together).​

Orange - parties(ratified). Green - signatories(not yet ratified).