Paris Agreement to face credibility test after being ratified by 72 countries

The Paris Agreement will officially go into effect thirty days from today, after 72 countries, representing 56.75% of global greenhouse gas emissions, ratified the deal. Isabel Kreisler, Oxfam International’s climate change policy expert said: “We’re pleased to congratulate 72 countries that have ratified the Paris Agreement and brought it into force. “The Paris Agreement’s credibility test starts today. Each and every country has pledged to cut their greenhouse gas emissions, but our world is still on track to warm up to 3° Celsius more, much higher than the Agreement’s stated goal of 1.5°. Countries will need quickly and aggressively cuts to their greenhouse gas emissions further.  “Oxfam estimates that only a fraction of the money that rich countries are spending on climate change is reaching the most vulnerable communities that desperately need it most. Figuring out how to close this gap and strengthen the resilience of these communities should be high on the list of priorities ahead of November’s United Nations climate change conference in Morocco. “This year, we’ve seen a super-charged El Niño put the lives and livelihoods of 60 million people at risk. We cannot wait until the next climate crisis to act on our words.”