In December 2015, at the Paris climate change conference COP21, nearly 200 countries agreed to keep the rise in global temperatures, compared to pre-industrial levels, well below 2°C to fight global warming.
Tomorrow, which marks the annual celebration of Earth Day, will be the first day that nations will officially sign the Paris agreement during a high-level ceremony to be held at the UN headquarters in New York. More than 130 nations have announced their intent to attend the signing ceremony.
Most importantly, on March 31, President Barack Obama and Chinese President Xi Jinping had announced that both their countries would not only sign the agreement on April 22, but would work to ratify the agreement as early as this year.
The US and China are the world’s two biggest greenhouse gas emitters, together accounting for approximately 40% of the world’s greenhouse gas emissions.
In addition, other major emitters are also taking steps to ratify the agreement as quickly as possible.
On April 7, the BASIC group - which includes Brazil, South Africa, India and China - released a statement, saying that the countries “look forward to signing the Paris Agreement on April 22 during the High-Level Signature Ceremony convened by the secretary-general of the UN” and that they “expressed their will to initiate necessary domestic processes for ratification, acceptance or approval as soon as possible”.
In order for the Paris agreement to enter into force, when key provisions of the agreement would become binding, at least 55 countries, responsible for at least 55% of global emissions, have to sign the agreement and indicate their consent to join and be bound by its parties.
Thus, this year’s Earth Day could be a key moment in history if all the nations attending the ceremony sign the agreement. This will be a great start and big push for the agreement to enter into force and it will be the first multilateral treaty in history to enter into force on the day it opens for signature.
Needless to say, countries as well as private sector companies around the world are already taking serious steps towards investment in low-carbon economy technologies, especially in renewable energy.
According to a UN report released in March 2016, the world invested $286bn in green energy in 2015.
Once the agreement is ratified, the more difficult tasks for countries will begin. That will include initiating actions, drawing up policies and mobilising investments in various sectors, especially energy, transport and agriculture, to shift towards a low-emission economy.
Earth Day or International Mother Earth Day is an annual event celebrated on April 22, when events are held worldwide to demonstrate support for environmental protection. It was first celebrated in 1970.
The Earth Day theme for this year is focused on trees with the aim of mobilising nearly 8bn plantings, or one for every man, woman, and child alive by 2020.
The link between the Paris Agreement and trees is clear - forests will be key allies in combating climate change and meeting the long-term goal of restoring the ecological balance of planet Earth by the second half of the century.
Trees and forests are also crucial in efforts to meet the new Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) given their role is absorbing carbon; cleaning and cooling the air; acting as natural water pumps to sustain river flows; stabilising soils; protecting against strong winds; recycling nutrients for agriculture; and supporting habitats for wildlife.
In addition, trees play a key role in many industries such as construction, paper, furniture, and medicine. Thus, trees help communities achieve long-term economic and environmental sustainability and provide food, energy, and income.
In Islamic culture, planting trees is one of the greatest good deeds that man can do in his life for sustainable development. For instance, Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him, said thus on the importance and benefits of planting trees: “If time comes and it is the Day of Judgment and one of you has seedlings in his hand and is able to plant it, he should do so.”
If countries fulfil its promises and sign the Paris Agreement tomorrow, it will send a powerful signal that the world is fully committed to a low-carbon future and that the transition to a low-carbon economy is now unstoppable.
However, one must say that shifting towards a low-carbon economy will not happen overnight, it is a long journey that can start tomorrow. In the medium term, the world will continue to be dependent on oil and gas, one of the main sources of energy internationally.
Currently, according to the IEA, oil and gas represent around 53% of the total global primary energy supply. This means that oil-rich countries have a good window of opportunity to use the wealth from oil and gas for investments in developing renewable technology.

- Dr Mohamed Abdel Raouf is the Sustainability Research Programme manager at the Gulf Research Centre, Cairo.