Paris agreement considered the most ambitious climate change accord ever negotiated globally

At 21:30 pm (Vietnam time) on Friday April 23, more than 150 leaders from countries around the world gathered at the United Nations headquarters in New York to sign the Paris Agreement, marking a milestone in global efforts for climate change governance. However, the signing of the Agreement is just the first step in a long journey.

“There are appropriately 171 countries and organizations in the list to sign the Agreement on climate change. The Agreement is considered as the most ambitious climate change accord ever negotiated globally” reported Tran Ha, VTV resident correspondent in New York.

“To become effective, the Paris Agreement has to pass through two major thresholds. Firstly, it must be ratified by at least 55 countries that signed the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change. Secondly, these 55 countries must be those accounting for 55% of emissions of greenhouse gases. The agreement on climate change will take effect 30 days after all these 55 countries ratify it. The target is set for 2020, and, if it is ratified quickly, the Agreement could come into effect this year or in early 2017.

Looking back over the journey that started more than 4 months, many thought that the prospect of nearly 200 countries signing the Agreement would be a miracle. But twelve difficult days of negotiation in late 2015 was rewarded with a deserving achievement. However, implementation of the Paris Agreement will have its challenges.

The biggest challenge is being for Agreement to bring about real change in the current fight against climate change for 195 countries and this depends considerably on the world’s largest greenhouse gas emitters.

(The article was translated and reposted from vtv.vn)