The Paris Agreement is a landmark framework within the United Nations that aims to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. It was adopted by the United Nations in December 2015, and was open for signature in April 2016. In order for the treaty to enter into force, it needs 55 of the 180 countries present at the Paris agreement to ratify it.

The key goal of the Paris Agreement is to limit the global temperature increase to below 2 degrees Celsius when compared with pre-industrial levels. Once ratified, the agreement will hold countries accountable for:

• Reviewing progress at least once every five years.

• Providing a combined 100 billion a year in climate related funding for developing countries by 2020.

• Adopting the agreement for at least three years before exiting.

As of September 2016, only 27 countries have ratified the agreement. The consensus is that enough countries will eventually ratify the agreement for it to come into force.

On September 3rd, the ratification process gained momentum as the United States and China both formally entered into the agreement. Before the USA and China entered the agreement, the countries that had ratified it only combined for roughly 1% of global emissions. The USA and China combine for roughly 40% of the world’s greenhouse gas emissions.

We hope that other countries follow the example of the United States and China, and ratify the Paris Agreement. Here are some of the countries that have yet to ratify the agreement as of September 10th, 2016:

• Canada
• France
• Germany
• India
• United Kingdom