President Obama signs the United States into a legendary treaty that includes 190 countries pledging to reduce greenhouse emissions and to keep global temperature rise below the two-degree mark just one day before the G20 Summit.
The United States formally completed the ratification process when President Obama signed the official agreement and submitted his plan to the United Nations. The United States currently occupies about 18% of the global emissions, just two percent shy of China’s pollution rates of 20%.
The White House has clearly pointed out that even though the Paris Treaty needs 55 countries, representing 55% of the total emissions to sign on before actions can begin, with the United State’s jumping on board, the total countries now equal 190 bringing the percentage up to 40%. President Obama assures the media that there are at least 35 other smaller countries either showing interest or preparing to join the treaty in 2016.
White House Senior Advisor, Brian Deese, commented on the Paris Treaty and our involvement, stating:
“For decades, it was as if China and the U.S. were the captains of two opposing teams in a match debating approaches to climate change. And if we were going to find a successful path out of Copenhagen’s failure, we were going to have to change that.”
China is among the 190 countries signed on to the Paris Treaty which is now vital to their community considering the country’s air pollution has become detrimental to Chinese citizens, possibly claiming over a million lives per year according to some studies.
Some of the Republican climate deniers are fighting back saying that the Congress would need to be involved in something like this before it is signed into action, but the White House believes President Obama is well within his rights to issue this as an Executive Order.
One day before the G20 summit began in eastern China, President Obama referred to the joining of the United States with countries across the world in the Paris Treaty as:
“The moment we finally decided to save our planet.”
Let’s hope the next President of the United States keeps this momentum going.
Watch the President’s response to signing the Paris Treaty here:
Featured Image Via the International Business Times
