Ammon News - AMMONNEWS - Deputizing for His Majesty King Abdullah II, Minister of Environment Taher Shakhshir, late Friday took part in the ceremony of signing the Paris Agreement on Climate Change, which was held at the UN Headquarters in New York.

Shakhshir said during the ceremony, which was attended by about 60 world leaders and representatives from more than 155 countries, that the Conference of the Parties in Paris (COP) on Dec. 12, 2015 was a qualitative leap in the international management system in the climate change field, adding that the agreement encouraged Jordan to play a key role in the global efforts, despite the scarcity of its resources.

The minister also noted that Jordan has pioneering roles in development, human rights, peace and sustainability in line with the international principles that were agreed under the United Nations system.

Efforts to achieve national goals will not be limited to government agencies, but also are active in partnership with non-governmental organizations, civil society and the private sector to accelerate the achievement of such goals, Shakhshir explained. He further added that the Paris agreement's principles are being linked with national policy towards a "green economy", which would make a structural change in the national economic and development planning.

Following the event, the period for signatures will remain open for one year, so that all parties can sign to validate the Paris Agreement and to ratify it. The deal will come into force once 55 countries representing at least 55 per cent of global emissions formally join it, a process initially expected to take until 2020.

In the agreement, all countries pledged to work to limit the temperature rise overall below 2 degrees Celsius, but are aiming to achieve a temperature rise below 1.5 degrees Celsius.

The signing of climate change agreement coincides with international Earth Day celebrations.