US, China in Paris Climate Deal Clincher, Says White House

The United States will sign the Paris global climate agreement as soon as it can next month and then will start putting it in place later this year, the White House announced Thursday, adding that China will sign then, too.

The United Nations has invited countries to sign the deal at a ceremony on April 22, the first day they can do so, reported The Associated Press.

The international agreement was reached in December, but needs a critical mass of countries to sign on before the pact is in force. The White House said the U.S. and China hope that by joining soon, global action to reduce emissions can kick in well before the formal start date in 2020.

The U.S. has run into a major roadblock. In February, the Supreme Court put on hold President Barack Obama's emissions limits for power plants. Obama was counting on those cuts to meet the U.S. commitment under the deal.

Brian Deese, an Obama adviser, said the White House is confident the limits will be upheld in plenty of time. He said tax credits for wind and solar will help bridge the gap until the power plant emissions limit take effect, said the AP.

At the Paris climate talks, governments agreed to limit global temperature rise to "well below" 2 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial times and pursue efforts to keep it to 1.5 degrees, according to Reuters.

Segolene Royal, France's environment minister who recently took over as chair of the U.N.-led climate negotiations, has said that between 80 and 100 countries are expected to sign the agreement in New York on April 22.

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