Paris climate agreement to be signed by Australia

Australia to sign Paris agreement on climate change, ABC News 7 Apr 16 By environment reporter Sara Phillips Australia will be among the first countries in the world to sign the Paris agreement on climate change, with a “very senior” representative being sent to a signing ceremony in New York later this month, according to government sources.

Erwin Jackson, deputy chief executive of the Climate Institute welcomed the news saying, “it’s signalling the conviction of the Government to the world that they’re now moving to implement the historic agreement that was forged in Paris”.

The Paris agreement, brokered after years of talks, aims to limit the release of greenhouse gases so that global warming is kept below 2 degrees Celsius, with a stretch goal of keeping it below 1.5C.

Mr Jackson said “there wasn’t very much doubt that Australia would sign the agreement”.

When the new treaty was agreed, Foreign Minister Julie Bishop hailed it as a “pivotal moment” indicating Australia’s support.

“What Paris demonstrated is there is strong global momentum to move away from old inefficient power sources to clean modern energy,” Mr Jackson said.

The United Nations will hold a high-level signing event on April 22 at its headquarters in New York………

Ratification is the next step.

For some countries this involves passing legislation in their parliaments, but for Australia, the treaty needs only to be tabled in Parliament and considered by the Joint Standing Committee on Treaties.

Kelvin Thomson, deputy chair of the committee, said: “We then hold an inquiry and table a report with recommendations in the Parliament.”

“The Government can then move to ratify the agreement,” he said.

He said as yet, nothing had been referred to the committee on the Paris agreement. http://www.abc.net.au/news/2016-04-07/australia-to-sign-paris-agreement-on-climate-change/7305446