Paris COP21: More than 130 countries to sign climate accord on 22 April, create new record

United Nations: A record number of countries are expected to sign a historic climate agreement at a ceremony on 22 April, the deputy UN spokesman said. More than 130 countries have confirmed that they will sign the Paris Agreement on 22 April, the first day that the accord adopted in December in Paris will be open for signature, Farhan Haq said at a daily news briefing at the UN on Thursday. [caption id=“attachment_2699772” align=“alignleft” width=“380”]  Representational image. Reuters[/caption] “This is expected to surpass the previous record of 119 signatures for an opening day signing for an international agreement, set by the Law of the Sea in Montego Bay (in Jamaica) in 1994,” he said. More than 60 heads of state and government will be attending the signing ceremony to be hosted at UN Headquarters in New York by UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, demonstrating the continued high level of engagement by world leaders to accept and implement the Paris Agreement, he said. “The signing ceremony will mark the first step toward ensuring that the Paris Agreement enters into force as early as possible,” Haq said. “The agreement will enter into force 30 days after at least 55 countries, accounting for 55 percent of global greenhouse gas emissions, deposit their instruments of ratification or acceptance with the secretary-general.” Adopted by the 196 parties of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, the Paris Agreement sets a target of holding the global average rise in temperature below two degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels, and preferably below 1.5 degrees. On the basis of common but differentiated responsibilities and respective capabilities, developed countries agreed to raise $100 billion a year by 2020 to help developing countries transform their economies.