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Tuesday, 8th November 2016
In General Japan News,
Japan ratifies Paris climate change agreement
Japan has now ratified the 2015 Paris Climate Change Agreement, joining a host of other nations in the fight to reduce global warming.
The agreement, which officially came into force last week, has been ratified by the Japanese House of Representatives and the cabinet today (November 8th). According to Japan Today, the country also plans to submit documents to become a signatory to the accord to the United Nations.
This would make Japan a signatory after 30 days.
However, with a number of other countries - including major emitters such as the US and China - already being signatories, talks are currently underway as to how the agreement will be implemented.
While Japan has stated it is keen to have a leading role in shaping the agreement, it will miss these preliminary discussions.
"We will play a leading role in the global community's efforts to deal with climate change and fulfil our responsibility to safely pass down this precious Earth to our children and their children," said prime minister Shinzo Abe, according to Japan Today.
On Monday (7th), an annual UN climate treaty conference began in Marrakech, while on November 15th, the first official gathering of the current signatories to the accord will take place later.
The Marrakech Climate Change Conference will run until November 18th and, with the Paris Agreement having officially come into force on November 4th, the first session of the Conference of the Parties has been designated a meeting of the Parties to the Paris Agreement.
Initially outlined in December 2015, the Paris Agreement is the first-ever universal global climate deal. It aims to counter global warming trends by limiting change to well below two degrees C above pre-industrial levels.
Indeed, it ideally aims to limit the increase to 1.5 degrees C, with the belief that this will reduce the risks associated with climate change.
As part of the deal, governments will come together every five years to set new and more ambitious climate change targets. They will also provide information as to their nation's progress meeting previous targets.
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