Commentary: Signing of Paris climate agreement a major step toward effective implementation

More than 170 countries on Friday gathered here to sign the Paris agreement, a milestone in global efforts for climate change governance.

The event will also set a record for countries inking an international accord in a single day.

The active participation in the signing sends a robust message that the global action to deal with climate change will not cease. Signing of the Paris agreement marks a new beginning in international cooperation, the accord is expected to enter into force before 2020, its target time.

The signing here and ratifications in capitals are necessary in ensuring the Paris deal to take effect at an early date, thus representing a major step toward the effective efforts to turn Paris aspirations into action.

The active signing also embodies the firm determination of the international community to join hands in safeguarding the shared destiny of humanity for a new sustainable future.

The universal agreement is mainly aimed at keeping a global temperature rise this century well below 2 degrees Celsius and to drive efforts to limit the temperature increase even further to 1.5 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels. The 1.5 degree Celsius limit is a significantly safer defense line against the worst impacts of a changing climate.

"I urge all countries to move quickly to join the Agreement at the national level so that the Paris Agreement can enter into force as early as possible," UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said at a high-level signing ceremony at UN Headquarters in New York. "The window for keeping global temperature rise well below 2 degrees Celsius, let alone 1.5 degrees, is rapidly closing."

The historic Paris accord, an outcome of win-win cooperation in long and arduous multilateral negotiations, has been hailed by a majority of UN member states as a wide international consensus reached in December last year to fairly split responsibilities between developed and developing countries. It for the first time brings all nations into a common cause based on their historic, current and future responsibilities.

The sincerity and inclusiveness, which have made the Paris agreement a reality, should be also applied in the follow-up negotiations.

After the signing, the real challenges lie in effective implementation. The pledges made here mark a new starting point in the process.

To reach these ambitious and important goals, appropriate financial flows will be put in place, thus making stronger action by developing countries and the most vulnerable possible, in line with their own national objectives.

As a responsible and big developing country, China has been actively engaged in the global campaign on climate change. China, both sincere and determined to contribute its share to the success of the Paris Conference in reaching the historic deal, will definitely do its best to carry out its responsibility in the Paris agreement.

Indeed, tackling climate change is a shared mission for mankind. Now it is time for the international community to work together to contribute to the establishment of an equitable and effective global mechanism on climate change, promote global sustainable development at a higher level and bring about new international relations featuring win-win cooperation. Enditem