Paris Agreement extended to Gibraltar

The Paris Agreement is a legally binding international treaty on climate change, adopted by 196 Parties at in Paris (COP21) on 12th December 2015. The Agreement was entered into force on 4th November 2016. This was a landmark in the multilateral climate change process because, for the first time, a legally binding agreement brought all nations together to undertake ambitious efforts to combat climate change. The goal of the Paris Agreement is to limit global warming to well below 2 degrees Celsius (compared to pre-industrial levels), but ideally to 1.5 degrees Celsius. To achieve this long-term temperature goal, countries aim to reach global peaking of greenhouse gas emissions as soon as possible, targeting a climate neutral world by the middle of the century.

On 22nd September 2022, the UK extended its ratification of the Paris Agreement to Gibraltar, making the territory accountable under this international treaty. Minister for the Environment, John Cortes said: “The extension of these important international agreements to Gibraltar demonstrates the strength of the United Kingdom’s commitment to Gibraltar and its confidence in Gibraltar as a jurisdiction that is ready, willing and able to do its part as a global actor on the Environment and Climate Change. I’d like to thank the Department of Environment and the Government Law Offices for their work on these important matters.”

The UK has also extended the London Convention to Gibraltar (and other Crown Dependencies and Overseas Territories) – this international treaty aims to prevent and control marine pollution.

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