U.N.'s Ban to address Europe on climate deal

The European Parliament said Monday it was preparing for a visit from the U.N. secretary-general as it votes to ratify last year's climate agreement from Paris.

Ministers from members of the European Union last week ratified a climate agreement that calls on the global community to take action to address threats posed by a warming climate by cutting their emissions. The European Parliament votes Tuesday on whether to consent to the Paris arrangement.

"Secretary General Ban Ki-moon is set to address the plenary of the European Parliament on the occasion of the vote," the Parliament's press service reported.

Ban's scheduled trip to Strasbourg follows his praise for a weekend decision by the government of India to add its name as the 62nd signature deposited for ratification. With India, those supporting the agreement account for about 52 percent of the world total greenhouse gas emissions.

"The secretary-general calls on all parties to accelerate their domestic procedures in order to join the agreement as soon as possible this year," his office said in a statement. "Action on climate change is crucial."

The agreement will enter into force once enough signatures are added to account for 55 percent of the total greenhouse gas emissions. To date, 62 parties, including the United States and China, have ratified the agreement.

Last week, Giovanni La Via, the Italian chairman of the European Parliament's Environment Committee, said getting this far was "unthinkable" without support from the European community.

The U.N. Environment Program cautioned that, even if all the commitments under the Paris agreement materialize, emissions levels by 2030 could still potentially lead to a global average temperature increase of more than 3 degrees Celsius.