The new Paris Agreement on climate change – secured last December in the French capital after which it is named – has been ratified by 61 nations, crossing the first of two thresholds required for it to come into effect. The news has raised expectations that the landmark accord could come online in the next few months. “I am confident that, by the time I leave office, the Paris Agreement will have entered into force. This will be a major achievement for multilateralism,” said UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon following a high-level event on the Paris Agreement held on Wednesday 21 September at UN headquarters in New York. Ban’s term will end on 31 December this year. A dedicated meeting saw 31 countries simultaneously deposit their instruments for ratification for the deal. The Paris Agreement requires ratification by 55 countries accounting for 55 percent of global greenhouse gas emissions. At press time, emissions covered by the current ratifications stand at 47.9 percent. Other major emitters have also recently signalled plans to ratify soon. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Sunday that the country would approve the deal on 2 October. The country accounts for just under seven percent of global...