U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon says at the start of a high-level U.N. ceremony where a record 171 countries are expected to sign the landmark climate change agreement that “history is in the making.”
The U.N. chief told global leaders and ministers on Friday that the world is in “a race against time,” citing record global temperatures, record ice loss and record carbon levels in the atmosphere.
“The era of consumption without consequences is over,” Ban said. “We must intensify efforts to decarbonize our economies.”
Ban, who recalled that climate change has been his top priority since he became secretary-general over nine years ago, urged all countries to ratify the agreement so it can come into force as early as possible.
The agreement will enter into force once 55 countries representing at least 55 per cent of global emissions have formally joined it.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau was one of the first leaders to speak, and he spelled out what steps Canada is taking to meet or exceed its emissions targets and encourage clean economic growth.
He says Canada will invest $2.56 billion over next five years to help such countries meet the goals of the climate agreement.
Trudeau also says Canada will ratify the climate agreement later this year.
“Climate change will test our intelligence, our passion and our will,” he says. “But we are equal to that challenge.”
China says it will “finalize domestic procedures” to ratify the landmark Paris Agreement on climate change before the G-20 summit in China in September.
The world’s top carbon emitter has said it would ratify the agreement this year, but Friday’s announcement of a deadline is new.
U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon immediately welcomed the pledge.
China spoke shortly before world leaders from more than 170 countries began signing the agreement.
Brazil’s president is using the signing ceremony to briefly address the political crisis at home, calling the effort to oust her a “grave moment” for the country and thanking leaders who have expressed solidarity with her.
President Dilma Rousseff says she has no doubt the Brazilian people “will be able to prevent any setback.” Despite the crisis, she says, “Brazil is a great nation, with a society that was able to defeat authoritarianism and build a vibrant democracy.”
On climate, Rousseff says her country will restore and reforest 12 million hectares (30 million acres) of forests and 15 million hectares of degraded pastures and increase the nation’s reliance on renewable sources to 45 per cent of the energy matrix in order to reduce emissions, without offering any timetable.
Leonardo DeCaprio is urging world leaders to leave fossil fuels “in the ground where they belong” as he tells them they are the “last best hope” for saving the planet from the disastrous effects of global warming.
The actor, who is a U.N. Messenger of Peace with a special focus on climate change, spoke shortly before the leaders began signing the Paris Agreement.
“We can congratulate each other today, but it will mean absolutely nothing” if you return to your countries and don’t take action to implement the deal, DiCaprio said.