Paris 'sigh of relief' heard today in New York

The world took a collective sigh of relief in the last days of 2015, when countries came together to adopt the historic Paris agreement on climate change.

The world's spotlight began to shine on
climate change in Paris in 2015.

The international treaty was a much-needed victory for multilateralism, and surprised many with its more-ambitious-than-expected agreement to pursue efforts to limit global warming to 1.5°C.

The next step in bringing the agreement into effect happens in New York on Friday 22 April, with leaders and dignitaries from more than 150 countries attending a high-level ceremony at the United Nations to officially sign it.

The New York event will be an important barometer of political momentum leading into the implementation phase – one that requires domestic climate policies to be drawn up, as well as further international negotiations.

Read the thoughts of a lecturer from the University of Cologne, Damon Jones, and a visiting scientist from Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research, Bill Hare, on The Conversation - “Paris climate deal signing ceremony: what it means and why it matters.”