2016 Earth Day Signing Caps 2015 Paris Climate Change Agreement

Summary: Scheduled for April 22 at the United Nations in New York, the 2016 Earth Day signing ceremony caps 2015 Paris Climate Change Agreement.

Ségolène Royal and Ban Ki-moon: Ségolène @RoyalSegolene, via Twitter April 1, 2016

The 2016 Earth Day signing ceremony, scheduled for April 22 at the United Nations in New York, caps the 2015 Paris Climate Change Agreement and, with 55 signers representing at least 55 percent of global emissions, leads into enforcing 2015’s crowning global warming achievement.

Ségolène Royal is enthusiastically pursuing her responsibilities as newly appointed president of the 21st Conference of the Parties (COP21), the 21st session of the Paris Agreement’s host framework, the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC). On Wednesday, Feb. 17, 2016, François Hollande, 24th president of France, appointed Ségolène Royal as successor to Laurent Fabius, who resigned from the COP21 residency in a letter dated Monday, Feb. 15.

On Feb. 17, Ségolène Royal tweets in French: “Très honorée de présider la conférence des Nations Unies sur le Climat. Appliquer l’accord de Paris et les Solutions.”

The new COP21 president then tweets an English translation: “Very honored to become President of #COP21. Let’s build on the results of the Paris conference.”

Ségolène Royal identifies for Le Monde reporters her top three priorities as newly appointed president of COP21.

“Les trois priorités sont de faire en sortie que l’accord de Paris se concrétise, que les contributions nationales soient effectivement appliquées par les pays et que l’agenda des solutions soit mis en oeuvre afin que l’action se poursuivre entre aujourd’hui et 2020,” she explains Thursday, Feb. 18, in the evening article by Le Monde reporters Sophie Landrin, Pierre Le Hir and Simon Roger announcing Royal’s appointment.

(Translation: “The three priorities are to ensure that the Paris Agreement is put into effect, that countries effectively implement their national contributions, and that the solutions agenda is implemented in order for action to continue from now to 2020.”)

Ségolène Royal quickly focuses on the hurdle of garnering the required number of signatures for the landmark Paris Climate Change Agreement. Early in March, 2016 Earth Day signing ceremony invitations, signed jointly by Ségolène Royal as COP21 president, Ban Ki-Moon as Secretary General of the United Nations and François Hollande as president of the French Republic, are sent to world letters (Chefs d’État et de Gouvernment). On Friday, March 11, the invitational letter is publicized during an organizational meeting for the 2016 Earth Day signing ceremony at United Nations headquarters in New York.

The invitation is issued in French and also in English.

invitation in French to ceremony of Signature Accord de Paris: SégolèneRoyal @RoyalSegolene, via Twitter March 18, 2016

A huge step toward a successful 2016 Earth Day signing ceremony takes place Thursday, March 31. The White House’s Office of the Press Secretary releases a statement of joint acceptance by China and the United States, the two biggest contributors to greenhouse gas emissions.

“The United States and China will sign the Paris Agreement on April 22 and take their respective domestic steps in order to join the Agreement as early as possible this year,” the two presidents, 44th U.S. President Barack Obama and 7th President of the People’s Republic of China (PRC) Xi Jinping, state in their joint acceptance of the 2016 Earth Day signing ceremony invitation.

Another step toward a successful 2016 Earth Day signing ceremony takes place Wednesday, March 30, the day before the issuing of the U.S.-China Joint Presidential Statement on Climate Change. The southwestern Pacific Island nation of Papua New Guinea submits its final Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC). Papua New Guinea claims the honor of being the first country to submit a final national climate action plan under the 2015 Paris Agreement. Papua New Guinea’s official climate action plan commits to transitioning to 100 percent renewable energy by 2030.

Most of Papua New Guinea, celebrated for its faunal and floral biodiversity, lies low in the southwest Pacific Ocean. The island nation’s 600 islands account for more than 17,000 kilometers (10,563 miles) of coastline. About 500,000 people live in Papua New Guinea’s nearly 2,000 coastal villages. Papua New Guinea’s citizens number among the most vulnerable (les plus vulnérables) identified in Ségolène Royal’s joint invitational letter.

invitation in English to the signing ceremony of the Paris Agreement on climate change: SégolèneRoyal @RoyalSegolene, via Twitter March 18, 2016

Acknowledgment

My special thanks to talented artists and photographers/concerned organizations who make their fine images available on the internet.

Image credits:

Ségolène Royal and Ban Ki-moon: Ségolène Royal @RoyalSegolene, via Twitter April 1, 2016, @ https://twitter.com/RoyalSegolene/status/715978115537846273

invitation in French to ceremony of Signature Accord de Paris: SégolèneRoyal @RoyalSegolene, via Twitter March 18, 2016, @ https://twitter.com/RoyalSegolene/status/710862778052059136

invitation in English to the signing ceremony of the Paris Agreement on climate change: SégolèneRoyal @RoyalSegolene, via Twitter March 18, 2016, @ https://twitter.com/royalsegolene/status/710865577611534336

For further information:

Landrin, Sophie, Pierre Le Hir and Simon Roger “Ségolène Royal deviant président de la COP21.” Jeudi 18 février 2016.
Available via Twitter @ https://twitter.com/RoyalSegolene/status/700354946684813312

Marriner, Derdriu. "Kerry Malcorra Talk Week Begins March 30, 2016, in Washington, D.C." Earth and Space News. Wednesday, March 30, 2016.
Available @ https://earth-and-space-news.blogspot.com/2016/03/kerry-malcorra-talk-week-begins-march.html

Marriner, Derdriu. “U.S.-China Joint Statement Accepts Paris Agreement Earth Day Signing.” Earth and Space News. Friday, April 1, 2016.
Available @ https://earth-and-space-news.blogspot.com/2016/04/us-china-joint-statement-accepts-paris.html

SégolèneRoyal @RoyalSegolene. "22 april NY: signing ceremony of the Paris Agreement on climate change." Twitter. March 18, 2016.
Available @ https://twitter.com/royalsegolene/status/710865577611534336

Ségolène Royal @RoyalSegolene. "Ban Ki moon : un record historique de signatures se profile pour le 22.04. Le SG remercie pr le travail post #COP21." Twitter. April 1, 2016.
Available @ https://twitter.com/RoyalSegolene/status/715978115537846273

SégolèneRoyal @RoyalSegolene. "Signature Accord de Paris sur le climat, mobilisation Chefs d'État." Twitter. March 18, 2016.
Available @ https://twitter.com/RoyalSegolene/status/710862778052059136