Oscarline Onwuemenyi
05 November 2016, Sweetcrude, Abuja — The Paris agreement on climate change has officially taken effect on Friday, November 4, 2016.
The historic agreement opens a new phase in the global climate governance and its implementation is a major step in coping with the global climate change.
The threshold for entry into force of the Paris agreement was achieved on October 5, 2016, when 97 of 197 countries that signed the agreement, ratified it.
Nigeria signed the agreement on September 22, 2016, although it is yet to ratify it.
President Muhammadu Buhari said that his signing of the Paris Agreement demonstrated Nigeria’s commitment to a global effort to reverse the effects of the negative trend.
The President made the statement while addressing the opening of the meeting on Taking Climate
Action for Sustainable Development in New York, co-hosted by Nigeria and the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) as one of the Side Events of the 71st Session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA71).
President Buhari, with the signing of the Paris Agreement, committed Nigeria to reducing “Green House Gas Emissions unconditionally by 20% and conditionally by 45%” in line with Nigeria’s Nationally Determined Contributions.
He expressed confidence that with support from development partners, Nigeria will meet these targets.
The President also promised to ensure the ratification of the Paris Agreement before the 22nd Conference of Parties to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change in Marrakesh, Morocco in November 2016.
The United States and China officially ratified the Paris agreement on September 3, saying the ratification could help put the pact into force before the end of the year.
UN Secretary-General, Mr Ban Ki-moon, who was in China to witness the declaration, received the plan to join the agreement from American President, Mr Barack Obama and his Chinese counterpart, President Xi Jinping.
