Rio, Kyoto, Cancun: it has been a long but halting passage. At long last, the Paris climate deal signed on October 5 has in the shortest possible time become international law. Indian Prime Minister, Narendra Modi had signed it without reservations in a conflict-torn global atmosphere to free it from pollution. China and the US, the two biggest polluters had signed the accord even earlier. The Paris Agreement on climate change is meant to save the world from the catastrophic effects of global warming through various country-specific actions and its becoming international law is a landmark event. The countries are to take climate actions under the deal from January 1, 2021 but the rules of implementation will be framed in the next 4 years. The rule-making process will start at the climate conference in Marrakech, Morocco to be held today. It has been agreed that the swift coming into force of the Agreement reflects the changed sensibilities across the world and wide appreciation of the need for speedy action. The Paris Agreement is also a testimony to the collaboration of nations who debated so long to ultimately reach a consensus and the contribution of NGOs and multilateral organisations. The prolonged friction between two groups of nations-between the developed and the developing-has been significantly ironed out.
Under the agreement, countries have to take action as per their pledges over an agreed period of time. A transparency mechanism will enable countries to report on progress towards meeting their pledges. Periodic stock taking will evaluate progress towards keeping average global temperature rise within 2 degree Celsius by the end of the century. UN Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon called it a momentous day. Delhi celebrated the success displaying the smiley ‘we have done it’. It may however have sounded ironic on a day which witnessed the worst spell of pollution in years in the Indian capital.