Armenia ratifies Paris climate deal

PanARMENIAN.Net - Armenia’s acting Foreign Minister Edward Nalbandian on Wednesday, September 21 signed the Paris Agreement on climate change, the Foreign Ministry said in a statement.

Thirty more countries are expected to formally join the deal this week, greatly improving the pact's chances of coming into force just a year after it was negotiated in the French capital, the United Nations said Tuesday, September 20, the Associated press reports.

More than 170 world leaders have signed the deal, but it won't take effect until 55 countries accounting for at least 55 percent of global emissions have ratified or accepted it through their domestic procedures.

That was initially expected to take several years, but 28 countries accounting for 39 percent of emissions including the world's two biggest emitters, the United States and China, have already ratified the deal.

The 30 ratifications expected to be handed to UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon at a special event at UN headquarters in New York on Wednesday would bring the total to 58 countries — but many are small and their total emissions likely won't reach the required 55 percent.