International News

SYDNEY, (MILLAT+APP/AFP) – Australia ratified the
Paris climate agreement on Thursday, amid fears US president-elect Donald Trump could follow through on his pledge to “cancel” the landmark pact aimed at tackling global warming.
More than 100 nations representing 70 percent of greenhouse gas
emissions have inked the historic Paris Agreement, the world’s first universal climate pact, which came into force in early November.
Australia’s approval of the binding deal was delayed by national
elections in July and its announcement Thursday came ahead of the departure of the country’s foreign and environment ministers for UN climate talks in Marrakesh.
“Ratification of the agreement confirms Australia’s ambitious and
responsible target to reduce emissions by 26 to 28 percent below 2005 levels by 2030,” Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull said in a joint statement with the two ministers.
“We are on track to meet and indeed beat our 2020 targets… and are
committed to meeting our 2030 targets under the agreement.”
With its heavy use of coal-fired power and relatively small
population of 24 million, Australia is considered one of the world’s worst per capita greenhouse gas polluters.
When asked if Canberra would follow the United States if it exited
the treaty, the prime minister stressed Australia’s commitment to the “watershed” agreement.
“We have ratified the agreement. It will — it takes four years to
withdraw — if a country sought to withdraw from the agreement it takes four years,” he told reporters.