The UK Will Ratify Paris Climate Deal This Year, Promises Theresa May

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Britain will ratify the Paris Agreement by the end of this year, Prime Minister Theresa May pledged during her first speech at the UN General Assembly in Newย York.

Addressing global delegates on 20 September, May said: โ€œWe will continue to play our part in the international effort against climateย change.

โ€œAnd in a demonstration of our commitment to the agreement reached in Paris, the UK will start its domestic procedures to enable ratification of the Paris agreement, and complete these before the end of theย year.โ€

This is first time May has confirmed the UK will remain committed to tackling climate change after the vote to leave the European Union in June. May has faced considerable criticism after she scrapped the Department for Energy and Climate Change just days after being appointed Primeย Minister.

The pledge also comes amidst mounting pressure for the Britain to join other major nations such as the US and China in ratifying the climate deal thisย year.

Reacting to the news, the independent forum Conservative Environment Network said in a statement: โ€œThis is terrific news. The UK, and Conservative ministers, played a strong part in securing the Paris Agreement. The world is moving to a more productive, efficient, low carbon economy. โ€ฆ We are confident [this commitment] lays the foundation for a better future, and we look forward to the economic dynamism it willย unleash.โ€

Members of the network include Conservative MP Zac Goldsmith, former Energy and Climate Change Minister Lord Greg Barker, and former Environment Minister Richardย Benyon.

Stephanie Pfeifer, chief executive of the Institutional Investors Group on Climate Change, a forum representing 128 European investors managing over โ‚ฌ13trn in assets, welcomed Mayโ€™s pledge, stating: โ€œThe Paris Agreement gives an unequivocal signal to investors, so we now look forward to swift action by ministers to implement the policy measures and regulatory frameworks required to ensure climate action and risk disclosure are placed front and centre of the UKโ€™s efforts to secure strong, sustainable, balanced and inclusiveย growth.โ€

Meanwhile Greenpeace has welcomed the announcement but notes thereโ€™s still room forย improvement.

As Greenpeace executive director, John Sauven, told the Guardian: โ€œThis signal is a welcome moment of clarity amidst the all-pervading Brexit uncertainty, but it could have come with a much speedier timetable. Some of the worldโ€™s major economies have already ratified the Paris deal. So why is the UK government taking soย long?โ€

The Paris agreement will only enter into force 30 days after 55 countries representing 55 percent of global emissions deposit their ratification with the UN. Many are expecting this to happen by the end of thisย year.

In Europe, both France and Hungary have already ratified the Paris Agreement. However, for the EU โ€“ which the UK is technically still a part of โ€“ to deposit its ratification with the UN, all 28 members states must first each ratify the climateย deal.

Britainโ€™s pledge therefore โ€œsends a signal to other members of the EU that should lead to ratification from them, which will be enough to trigger entry into force this year,โ€ argued Nick Mabey, chief executive of E3G.

Photo: Number 10 viaย Flickr

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Kyla is a freelance writer and editor with work appearing in the New York Times, National Geographic, HuffPost, Mother Jones, and Outside. She is also a member of the Society for Environmental Journalists.

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