The European Parliament has overwhelmingly backed the ratification of the Paris climate deal, in a vote attended by UN chief Ban Ki-moon that paves the way for the landmark pact to come into force globally.  The vote of 610 for, 38 against and 31 abstentions puts the European Union on track to hand over its ratification to the United Nations, which would then tip the international community above the threshold needed for implementation.

Already 62 countries accounting for 51.89% of global emissions, had ratified the deal, and the EU’s move to ratify means its 12% of global emissions will ensure the second threshold is met. The EU had been under pressure to speed up ratification of the treaty so that it could enter into force this year, much sooner than the originally-planned 2020 start date, to meet the urgent need to tackle greenhouse gas emissions.

The ratification precedes the first meeting of parties preparing for the UN climate change conference in Morocco on November 7. The European Union plans to decrease its greenhouse gas emissions by 40% by 2030 from its 1990 levels.

Did You Know?

• The United States, China and India had earlier given their formal consent to the accord finalised in December.
• These regions are collectively responsible for 51.89% of global carbon emissions.
• The EU’s 28 nations together account for 12% of the total.
• The deal seeks a commitment from countries to stop global temperatures from increasing beyond 2°C.