Since the climate agreement was reached during COP21 in Paris, it has proven to be a surprisingly big political momentum to ratify the agreement. Major CO2 emitters like the United States and China have ratified the agreement together with other countries. The agreement is therefore close to come into force. This will happen when at least 55 countries, who are covering 55 % of the global CO2 emissions have ratified the agreement. This goal is very close to being fulfilled.

"It was a historic moment in Brussels today. EU shows action and is pushing the global momentum for the climate agreement to come into force. It is very gratifying that it has happened so quickly and I am very pleased that the EU is accelerating this important matter and is showing leadership. It is now realistic to hope that the climate agreement will come into force already this year, and thus the launch of the global green transition is serious, "said the Danish Minister of Energy, Utilities and Cimate, Lars Chr. Lilleholt.

-Related News: Upcoming Green Export Strategy for Denmark 

At the moment 61 partners, covering almost 48 % of the global emissions, has ratified the agreement. So far, five EU countries have completed their national ratification process. The countries are France, Hungary, Austria, Slovakia and Germany. Denmark will be at the forefront when the Danish government will propose the ratification of the agreement during the opening of the Parliament.

The Danish ratification

The ratification of this big political momentum means that the Paris Agreement by all accounts, will come into force during COP22 in Marrakesh, Morocco on from the 7th and 18th November 2016. Based on the upcoming UN Climate Change Conference, the Slovak EU Presidency called the EU’s climate and environmental Ministers to an extraordinary Council meeting on the 30th September.

It was agreed that the EU should ratify the agreement as soon as possible and to deposit the ratification by 7th October. This will ensure that the EU can participate in the decision-making process during the Paris Agreement at COP22. The EU has worked hard for an ambitious global climate agreement, and the EU's ratification of the Paris Agreement shows action and sends an important signal that the EU fully supports the agreement.

- Related Event: Nordic Pavilion at COP22

"The government has always worked towards the EU ratification of the Paris Agreement so that the agreement would not come into force without the EU. I am therefore pleased that we have managed to reach an agreement in the EU to ratify the Paris Agreement, so that we show action and leadership like the US and China. It underlines the EU's commitment and support for the Paris Agreement, that we have in such a short time managed to achieve consensus on such a complex matter, "says the Danish Minister of Energy, Utilities and Cimate, Lars Chr. Lilleholt

The Paris Agreement must be ratified by the EU and the individual Member States. At the Council meeting there was a consensus about EU's ratification of the agreement, while the ratification process itself will be in accordance with the Member States’ national ratification procedures.

Related News: Paris: Danish Companies at COP21

"The government already announced in spring that we will bring forward the resolution on Denmark’s ratification of the Paris Agreement this autumn. It will happen on October 5th  as soon as the parliament is reopened. We will complete the process as soon as possible and certainly before COP22, "says the Danish Minister of Energy, Utilities and Cimate, Lars Chr. Lilleholt.

Source: The Danish Ministry of Enery, Utilities and Climate.