Fast-Track Paris Agreement Comes Into Force

The Paris Agreement has come into force much earlier due to the EU’s decision to fast-track the ratification of the Paris Agreement although all the Members States haven’t formally joined. 

Climate Action Network (CAN) Europe welcome this historic achievement by the global community, and urges EU leaders to immediately turn their attention to the necessary steps that now need to be taken to live up to the objectives of the agreement.

“The early entry force of the Paris Agreement is a huge step forward in the fight against climate change”, said Wendel Trio, Director at Climate Action Network (CAN) Europe. “All eyes now turn to Marrakesh where the first meeting of the members of the Paris Agreement will take place. This is where Europe can show leadership again”.

The main theme of the Marrakesh climate conference will be to increase climate action before 2020. In Paris, all countries, including the EU and its Member States agreed to increase their emissions reductions in the short-term.

“EU Member States have an incredible advantage here as the EU is projected to largely overshoot its 2020 targets. However, Member States prefer to use this overshoot for meeting its post-2020 commitments rather than contribute to the agreed increase of short-term action. If the EU wants to show leadership again in Marrakesh, then announcing the cancellation of current surplus emission allowances in the Emissions Trading Scheme, would be the perfect way to do so.”

The other important item on the Marrakesh agenda is the discussion on the process to review all countries 2030 targets, which should happen late 2018.

“The EU and its Member States can now prove that fast-track ratification was not just an act of political grandstanding, but a testimony to support the need to  urgently scale up climate action in all countries and across all sectors”.

“To show the world that it’s serious about reaching the objectives of the Paris Agreement, the EU must urgently get to work with regards to its implementation. The EU must bring to COP22 in Marrakesh a plan for how they will start the process of revising its inadequate 2030 target by 2018 the latest”.