Paris deal on climate change is sealed as EU ratifies agreement

[muriel_volestrangler]

Source: Deutsche Welle

The landmark climate change agreement aimed at minimizing global warming is on the verge of taking effect following the European Parliament (EP) meeting in Strasbourg, France that approved ratification of the accord.

The Paris Agreement, which was hammered out last December, requires ratification by a minimum of 55 countries, accounting for at least 55 percent of global greenhouse gas emissions.

The former threshold has already been met and approval by the EU Parliament this afternoon means the agreement can now move forward. The EU ratification is expected to be submitted to the United Nations by week's end, and will enter into force 30 days later.

That means the agreement will take effect before the next round of talks in November, in Morocco, and before the US presidential election in early November. Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump has threatened to pull the US out of the agreement if elected, though he is currently trailing in the polls.


Read more: http://www.dw.com/en/paris-deal-on-climate-change-is-sealed-as-eu-ratifies-agreement/a-35953085

[Helen Borg]

1. Wonder if this was the REAL reason behind Brexit...

I mean, the real driving reason. The interest of big oil and coal corporations.

[muriel_volestrangler]

2. No; there are no big coal corporations in the UK, and no one was talking about this

in the Brexit debate. While the UK does have big oil corporations, they didn't feature in the debate, and May has said she'll get Paris ratified in the UK parliament too: http://www.desmog.uk/2016/09/21/uk-will-ratify-paris-climate-deal-year-promises-theresa-may

Coal use in the UK has plummeted:

Coal generated a record low 6% of the UK’s electricity this spring, official figures show.

The share of coal in the power mix fell from 20% in the same period last year, following the closures of Ferrybridge C, West Yorkshire, and Longannet coal-fired power station in Scotland.

Another coal unit at Drax, North Yorkshire, has also switched from the fossil fuel to burning biomass.

https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2016/sep/29/coal-electricity-generation-falls-to-record-uk-low-this-spring

[Helen Borg]

3. Righto. Stealth influence. Best strategy.

[muriel_volestrangler]

4. Mass hypnosis?

Are you saying the reason for the Brexit vote was that oil corporations had invisibly convinced voters to say it was about immigration, when really it was about them having undetectably persuaded them that Brexit would do - what? - for said oil corporations?

[karynnj]

5. Fantastic -- this makes it much more likely that there is real momentum on this

This is a huge victory for the UN, French foreign minister Fabius, John Kerry and Obama and the leaders of China - among many many others who worked hard to get that agreement.