France ratifies Paris agreement on climate change

French President Francois Hollande on Wednesday ratified the Paris climate agreement to curb green gas emissions, making France the first industrialised nation to do so.

"Signing (Paris climate accord) is good, but ratifying is better. The challenge now is that 55 states representing 55 per cent greenhouse gas emissions in turn ratify the treaty," Xinhua news agency quoted Hollande as saying.

Hollande also called on European partners to ratify the agreement by the end of the year.

Last week, French parliament gave the green light to government to ratify the accord.

During a summit in May, the heads of state and government of the G7 (the US, Japan, Germany, France, Britain, Italy and Canada) pledged to energise efforts enough so that the agreement enters into force before the end of 2016.

On December 12, 2015 climate negotiators of 196 parties adopted the accord at climate change talks which aimed at limiting global warming by two degrees Celsius.

--IANS

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