EU ministers have approved ratification of the Paris Agreement on climate change by the European Union.
The decision was reached at an extraordinary meeting of the Environment Council in Brussels.
The approval will now be forwarded to the European Parliament for its consent, which is expected next week.
Once parliament has consented, the EU will be able to send the ratification instrument to member states for approval.
The Paris Agreement committed the world to trying to limit climate change to 1.5 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels.
So far, 61 countries, accounting for almost 48% of global greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions have ratified the agreement.
The pact will enter into force 30 days after at least 55 countries representing at least 55% of global GHG emissions have ratified.
Energy and Climate Intelligence Unit (ECIU) director Richard Black said: “It’s striking not only in the context of global climate talks, which for so many years moved at glacial pace – it’s very unusual for governments to bring any major treaty into force in less than a year.
“Currently the pledges governments made at Paris aren’t strong enough to keep global warming well below 2 degrees Celsius, the target that governments adopted.
“But the Paris deal contains measures to ‘ratchet up’ national commitments, and its astoundingly quick entry into force raises the prospects of tighter emission cuts down the line that could yet steer the world away from dangerous climate change, as the majority of citizens globally want.”
The ECIU is a non-profit organisation supporting debate on energy and climate change issues in the UK.
Image: Freeimages
EU set to ratify climate pact
Environment ministers OK Paris deal which now goes before parliament
By EBS