Earlier at the UN today at the historic signing of the Paris Agreement on Climate Change pic.twitter.com/fMsdr7b1km
— Maleeha Lodhi (@LodhiMaleeha) April 22, 2016
The deal sets a world action plan to bring down climate change to two percent by 2020.
Signing of Paris Agreement on Climate Change pic.twitter.com/oCAXiNrgbB
— Maleeha Lodhi (@LodhiMaleeha) April 22, 2016
Federal Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan signed the climate change accord on behalf of Pakistan.
According to AFP, including the world’s top polluters China and the United States, signed the Paris climate deal Friday, boosting hopes of quick action on combating global warming.
French President Francois Hollande was the first leader to put his signature to the accord during a ceremony at the United Nations, followed by leaders from island-states hardest hit by climate change.
#hollande puts 1st signature under #ParisAgreement @un #climatechange pic.twitter.com/TsCasvk5Mp
— akd (@ak_deininger) April 22, 2016
US Secretary of State John Kerry came to the podium cradling his two-year-old granddaughter Isabelle and triggered warm applause from delegates as he signed the historic deal.
Kerry brought his grand daughter to the signing ! pic.twitter.com/hpAhxPK3Ik
— Maleeha Lodhi (@LodhiMaleeha) April 22, 2016
Held on Earth Day, the ceremony comes four months after the hard-won deal was clinched in Paris and marks a first step toward binding countries to the promises they made to cut greenhouse gas emissions.
“This is a moment in history,” UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon told leaders gathered at the UN General Assembly.
“Today you are signing a new covenant with the future.”
Holdout countries still have a year to sign the deal, but the focus has now turned to swift ratification and entry into force before the target date of 2020.
