UN top climate official calls for commitment to Paris Agreement

United Nations top climate officials have called for the commitment of contracting parties to the Paris Agreement on Thursday.

A new round of the UN Framework on Climate Change (UNFCCC) negotiation conferences kicked off on May 8, focusing on concrete implementation of the Paris Agreement and preparation for the 23rd UN Climate Change Conference scheduled to be held in Bonn in November this year.

Considering that Donald Trump administration will soon make the ultimate decision on whether to stay within the Paris Agreement, UNFCCC Executive Secretary Patricia Espinosa called on all parties to adhere to the commitment to the Paris Agreement.

Espinosa praised the efforts of Chinese delegation over the past few days, saying they have "supported the Secretariat of the UNFCCC and the negotiation process with very constructive attitude."

She mentioned specifically the speech by Chinese President Xi Jinping at the World Economic Forum in Davos in January, in which Xi called on all signatories to stick to the Paris Agreement instead of walking away.

She welcomed the speech, saying "China has very clearly expressed its commitment to the Paris Agreement, along with other emerging economies and developed countries."

"I want to underline that China is our very strategic and important partner," she said.

The Paris Agreement was agreed by the 195 member economies which attended the 2015 UN Climate Change Conference (COP21) in Paris. It went into effect last November. Endit