Interview: Challenge now is to implement Paris Agreement: UN climate chief

The Paris Agreement, the global climate pact reached by over 190 countries last year, may come into force well before 2020.

The challenge now is for all nations to implement what they agreed, United Nations climate chief Christiana Figueres said in a recent interview with Xinhua, adding that the spirit of cooperation among nations remains very much alive despite bumps along the way ahead.

Over 150 countries are expected to sign the Paris Agreement at the UN headquarters in New York on Friday, kicking off a process of the agreement's entry into force.

After their signatures, nations must complete domestic ratification procedures before they join the agreement. Ratification of at least 55 countries with at least 55 percent of global greenhouse gas emissions are needed for the pact to take effect.

"The entry into force establishes a legal framework for action," said Figueres, Executive Secretary of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change.

"Whether that will happen in 2016, I cannot say. But there are strong signals that it may happen well before 2020," she added, calling the Paris Agreement "a multilateral commitment by over 190 countries to address dangerous climate change, dramatically re-calibrate the global economy and build resilient societies."

China and the United States announced last month that they would join the agreement "as early as possible this year."

"The significance of the joint China-U.S. statement cannot be underestimated given that it comes from the world's two biggest emitters," Figueres said, "(The statement is) a clear and unequivocal message of support."

In Paris last year, countries agreed to peak global greenhouse gas emissions as soon as possible in order to keep global warming well below 2 degrees Celsius while pursuing efforts to limit the temperature increase below 1.5 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels.

Countries must submit their climate action plans, known as nationally determined contributions, which include plans of emissions cutting and green finance mobilization, every five years with progression of efforts.

"The challenge now is for all nations to implement the agreement," Figueres said. A solid transparent mechanism for all nations' action plans are needed, while developed countries must show a "real clarity" that they are indeed delivering the promised 100 billion U.S. dollars finance support to developing countries.

She said details of the agreement's implementation will be the focus of upcoming climate negotiations in May in Bonn, Germany, followed by an annual climate summit in November in Morocco.

"I am sure there will be bumps along the way," she said, adding the spirit of cooperation that nations showed during negotiations over the Paris Agreement remains "very much alive."

"All governments now understand the risks and the opportunities," Figueres said, recent announcements by governments, companies, funds to support renewable energies and withdraw investments from fossil fuels showed enthusiasm and dynamic of global climate action.

In China, power transmission companies were ordered last month to provide grid connectivity for all renewable power generation sources. In its 13th Five-Year Plan, China set "green" as one of the five guiding principles for the country's development.

"China has become a major, positive influence on climate action," Figueres said, "The strong emphasis on a circular economy and ecological civilization, enshrined in successive five-year plans, has played a key, confidence building role among developing and developed countries that assisted to bring over 190 nations to a successful outcome in Paris."

In the implementation of the Paris Agreement, "I expect China to be a very constructive partner," she said. Endit