The Paris Agreement, which aims to keep global warming below 2 degrees Celsius, was adopted by 195 countries at the 21st Conference of the Parties (COP21) to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change in Paris on December 12, 2015.
The United Kingdom (UK) was one of the countries that signed the agreement on the same day it was adopted. However, signing the agreement is just the first step towards ratification. In order for the Paris Agreement to come into force, at least 55 countries that account for 55% of global greenhouse gas emissions must ratify it.
The UK ratified the Paris Agreement on November 18, 2016, becoming one of the first countries to do so. This was just 11 months after the agreement was adopted, and showed the UK`s commitment to addressing the urgent challenge of climate change.
By ratifying the Paris Agreement, the UK committed to reducing its greenhouse gas emissions by at least 80% by 2050 compared to 1990 levels. This was enshrined in the Climate Change Act 2008, which also set targets for the UK`s emissions reduction in the short and medium term.
The UK continued to show leadership on climate change by co-hosting the One Planet Summit in Paris in December 2017, where world leaders came together to discuss ways to accelerate the implementation of the Paris Agreement.
However, the UK`s progress towards meeting its emissions reduction targets has been mixed. While emissions from electricity generation have fallen significantly due to the phase-out of coal and the growth in renewable energy, emissions from other sectors such as transport and buildings have remained stubbornly high.
In June 2019, the UK became the first major economy in the world to pass legislation committing to net zero emissions by 2050. This was a significant step towards meeting the Paris Agreement`s goal of limiting global warming to well below 2 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels.
In conclusion, the UK ratified the Paris Agreement on November 18, 2016, just 11 months after it was adopted. While progress towards meeting emissions reduction targets has been mixed, the UK has shown leadership on climate change by committing to net zero emissions by 2050.