Somalia joins over 150 nations in signing the global climate change pact

President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud Friday appended his signature to the global climate change agreement, the Paris Agreement joining more than 150 countries in a strong commitment to combating climate change.

The historic signing ceremony in the UN headquarters in New York also saw major polluters like the US, Russia and China agree to keep the world temperatures at below 2 degrees.

UN Secretary General Ban Ki Moon lauded the response from countries of the world noting the world leaders must now put their words into action.

“The world now has an agreement on universal, equitable, flexible and durable climate,” Ki-moon said. “Our task is not over. In fact, it’s just begun. In 2016, we must move from words to deeds. The signing ceremony this April 22 is an essential step.”

Somalia is among countries which have been adversely affected by effects of climate change as evidenced by the ongoing drought and other climatic conditions as a result of El Nino rains.

Speaking earlier in the week during a climate change meeting in Addis Ababa, a UN Economic Commission for Africa chief economist Abdalla Hamdok called on African countries to explore ways in which they can benefit the most from the framework of the agreement to unleash the huge potential of its renewable energy resources.

The Paris Climate Change Agreement was approved by the 196 Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention of the Climate Change (UNFCCC) in COP21 in Paris on Dec. 12, 2015. 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.

US Secretary of State John Kerry said the signing was a product of hard work. “Today is a day to mark and celebrate the hard work done by so many to win the battle in securing the Paris agreement. Knowing what we know, this is also a day to recommit ourselves to actually win this war,” said Kerry.

After each nation completes this process, the action plans will be presented to the Depositary under Ban Ki-moon in New York. It is only when an action plan has been deposited that a country has officially ratified the Paris Agreement.

The Paris Agreement will become effective on the 30th day after the date on which at least 55 parties, which cut at least about 55 percent of total emissions of greenhouse gases, have reached the full requirements under the agreement, the statement said.