EU chief applauds China and US for joining climate change deal

European Council President Donald Tusk praised the decision made by China and the U.S. to ratify the Paris agreement, saying, "We are happy that the United States and China, the two biggest global emitters, ratified the agreement."

The statement was made during a press conference on Sept. 4 ahead of the G20 Hangzhou summit, where climate change will be on the agenda.

Chinese President Xi Jinping and U.S. President Barack Obama submitted the legal instruments to join the Paris agreement to curb climate-warming emissions on Saturday.

Mr. Tusk said: "The ratification by China and the U.S. is for us a hope that we will no longer be alone. With major emitters around the table we need to make sure that our common priority is to implement the Paris agreement early and in a robust manner."

China and the U.S. produce a combined 38 percent of global greenhouse gas emissions.

"The EU is fully committed to this goal and we want to encourage all G20 members to do the same," he said. "We expect the challenge of climate change to be dealt with in all seriousness by the G20 partners."

The Paris deal, signed in December last year, will legally enter into force only after at least 55 countries accounting for at least 55 percent of global emissions agree to it.

With China and the U.S. joining the accord, the EU is now several steps behind them.

Mr. Tusk asserted that the ratification process is under way in the EU and will be completed as soon as possible...
  [china.org.cn]
5/9/16