Signing Paris Agreement "critical milestone": U.S. official

The signing of the Paris Agreement set on Friday is "another critical milestone" in the fight against climate change, a senior U.S. official said Wednesday.

The senior State Department official, who discussed anonymously on background briefing on the Paris Agreement signing ceremony, said Secretary of State John Kerry will join representatives from over 100 countries on Friday in signing the agreement, which was reached in Paris last December.

"The swift action by so many countries -- every climate, every size, every economy -- is really a testament to the undeniable momentum coming out of Paris," said the official.

"It's spurring not only swift action on the Paris Agreement itself but really continued progress on our collective efforts to move to clean energy, to low carbon, to a climate-friendly future."

Then, the next step is for countries to join the Paris Agreement, which is distinct from signing, as the deal will not enter into force until at least 55 nations representing at least 55 percent of global emissions are included.

"So Friday is another critical milestone along the path confronting the threats and entry into force is really kind of a critical next step beyond that," the official said.

In a joint statement issued two weeks ago, the U.S. and China announced their intent to sign the agreement on Friday and then to join as early as possible this year.

"That's a signal -- significant signal, really -- of continued commitment and momentum coming from the two largest emitters, which together account for virtually 40 percent of global emissions," the official said.

U.S. President Barack Obama, a Democrat, intends to cement his climate legacy before leaving office in 2016, but he has acted mostly through executive power, including his push for emission cuts from power plants.

The Republicans, who control the U.S. Congress, however, denied the reality of climate change and claimed that Obama's climate policies may produce significant damage to the American economy.

Actually, many believe the United States will almost certainly leave the agreement if the Republicans take control of the White House.

"Of course, it's legally possible for a country to withdraw," said the official. "If a future president chooses, he or she could pursue a formal withdrawal from the agreement."

But the next U.S. president must wait "a period of time" to do so. That is because the agreement indicates that a party cannot withdraw until three years after it enters into force.

"So a new president couldn't say ... 'I'd like to withdraw tomorrow' and have that happen, but they can withdraw," the official added. Endit