Fiji becomes first country to approve Paris climate deal

Fiji has become the first country in the world to formally ratify the international UN climate deal that was agreed in Paris in December.

The historic Paris Agreement was reached at the COP21 summit by 195 UN-member states with the aim of curbing greenhouse gas emissions and avoiding dangerous levels of global warming.

Fiji’s parliament unanimously agreed to a motion proposed by attorney general Aiyaz Sayed Khaiyum urging the government to approve the treaty ahead of the official signing ceremony in April.

The climate deal is designed to avert an average global temperature increase of 2°C compared to pre-industrial times and it needs 55 signatories to take effect, with experts confident it will be passed easily.

Fiji has pledged to cut its greenhouse gas emissions by 10 per cent by 2030, or by 30 per cent depending on international support.

The Pacific island nation also set a target of using renewable energy to power 100 per cent of its electricity by 2030.