More than 1 billion people in 192 countries will participate in the Earth Day on April 22, said the Earth Day organization on Monday. On the same day, world leaders will sign the Paris Agreement at the United Nations headquarters in New York. The U.S. and China have already confirmed attendance.
Earth Day is recognized as the most prominent face of the environmental movement, said Kathleen Rogers, president of Earth Day Network. This year, people from big cities to small villages will make an ode to Earth while cleaning up their communities, planting trees and making education campaigns.
Ms. Rogers has said that more than 1 billion people of different regions all around the world will become “lifelong environmentalists” during the Earth Day, including hundreds of thousands of children, who are the planet’s future.
“They will join the more than 1 billion people who already use Earth Day to focus on the urgent need to stabilize and reduce global greenhouse gas emissions, fight climate change, act locally, become climate voters, and protect their children’s futures.” She added in a press release published Monday.
This year, the Earth Day Network is emphasizing in planting new trees and forests worldwide. Moreover, the organization wants to plant 7.8 billion trees worldwide by 2020, one for every person on Earth. The goal has been described as “ambitious”, but necessary to combat climate change and avoid species extinction.
On the other hand, the top priority of the organization is to make sure that the United States, China, India, the EU and all the major CO2 emitters, sign the Paris Agreement on April 22. If that occurs, this year’s Earth Day could be described as the most significant in years, added Ms. Rogers.
The Earth Day Network has created a petition to ask President Barack Obama to impulse signing for the Paris Climate Agreement worldwide. By Monday, April 4, the form has already been signed by more than 14.709 people. Here is the link: https://www.change.org/p/keep-the-heat-on-obama-ask-him-to-help-ratify-the-paris-climate-agreement
Ban Ki-moon has invited world leaders to a signing ceremony: the U.S. and China have already confirmed attendance
Late January, United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon invited world leaders from 55 countries to a signing ceremony to ratify the Paris Agreement. The meeting will take place at UN Headquarters in New York City on April 22.
If all 55 countries agree to sign, the Paris Agreement will transform from words and promises to actual and potential action, since those countries represent at least 55 percent of global greenhouse gas emissions in the world.
The main objective of the Paris Agreement is to reduce Earth temperatures to a maximum of 1.5 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels. Mr. Ban Ki-moon said on January that the agreement provides a “solid foundation” for the low-carbon transformation of the global economy, offering a greater and healthier future to everyone.
Thursday last week, the United States and China confirmed attendance to the U.N. signing ceremony, after President Barack Obama and Chinese President Xi Jinping met in Washington. It is calculated that both countries are responsible for 40 perfect of greenhouse gas emissions.
“The Presidents further express their commitment to work together and with others to promote the full implementation of the Paris Agreement to win the fight against the climate threat,” the joint US-China statement reads, according to the Economic Times.
Source: Earth Day