Over the past several months, European leaders watched more than 60 countries, including the United States, China and India, formally ratify the Paris agreement to combat climate change. Despite Europe's reputation as a world leader on the issue of climate change, EU bureaucracy still threatened to delay formal ratification. But at a plenary session in Strasbourg on Tuesday, the EU Parliament voted by an overwhelming majority to ratify the Paris accords. The bloc is expected to present its formal papers to the United Nations on Oct. 4, effectively sealing the agreement's enactment.
At least 55 countries accounting for 55 percent of total global emissions are needed onboard for the agreement to come into effect. India's ratification on Sunday bumped the agreement to roughly 52 percent, and the addition of France, Germany, Slovakia, Hungary, Austria, Portugal and Malta will push the agreement past the threshold, ensuring that it enters force early in...
