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Cities and states may be able to officially join the Paris Agreement

Grist 12th June 2017, Cities and states may be able to officially join the Paris Agreement after
all. Patricia Espinosa, head of the United Nations climate change body that
negotiated the accord, told ministers at a June 11-12 meeting that she
hopes to bring U.S. cities and states into the fold. “This is obviously
important, because cities like New York and states like California that
intend to pursue the same direction — of reducing emissions very
ambitiously — will have a voice and will be able to sign agreements
inside the international convention on climate change,” said Espinosa, as
reported by Politico.

After Trump announced the U.S. would drop out of the
Paris deal, numerous states, cities, and businesses reiterated commitments
to reducing emissions. But the actual legality of cities and states joining
international treaties remains murky under the U.S. Constitution. “It’s
a little bit early to know what exactly is meant by” Espinosa’s
comment, says Vicki Arroyo, executive director of the Georgetown Climate
Center. Arroyo says it could refer to subnational representatives, like
governors, receiving credentials to attend climate talks and participate in
discussions, rather than state or municipal governments literally signing
on. http://grist.org/briefly/cities-and-states-may-be-able-to-officially-join-the-paris-agreement-after-all/

June 14, 2017 - Posted by Christina Macpherson | 2 WORLD, climate change