The Group of Seven nations will work to bring the Paris climate change Agreement into force by the end of the year, they announced last week in Japan following the G7 summit. “The G7, continuing to take a leadership role, commits to taking the necessary steps to secure ratification, acceptance or approval of the Paris Agreement as soon as possible, and calls on all Parties to do so striving for a goal of entry into force in 2016,” according to a the G7 Ise-Shima Leaders’ Declaration.
The Paris Agreement, the first international climate change agreement to apply to both developed and developing nations, will come into force once at least 55 nations representing at least 55 percent of global greenhouse gas emissions have joined. Currently, 17 nations representing .04 percent of global emissions have joined the agreement.
The nation’s further pledged to actively work to reach the goals laid out in their nationally determined contributions to the agreement. “We commit to take the lead by early, transparent and robust implementation of our nationally determined contributions, and promoting increased ambition over time. We also commit to actively participate in the regular review of global stock-take progress every five years,” the declaration says.