批准巴黎氣候協議的競跑在聯合國開始

The first significant step to putting the Paris Climate Agreement into practice will take place on Friday.

週五, 落實巴黎氣候協議將邁出第一個重大步伐.

Around 155 countries are expected to formally sign the deal at the UN, setting in motion events that could see the treaty operational within a year.

約155個國家預期在聯合國正式簽署協議, 啓動或可於年內將協議付諸實施的一系列事件.

The UN says the expected record turnout for the signing shows overwhelming global support for tackling rising temperatures.

聯合國表示, 預計創紀錄的出席簽字人數顯示, 解決氣候升溫獲得了全球壓倒性支持.

But some environmentalists have dismissed the event as a "distraction".

但一些環保主義者將此次活動斥爲 “注意力分散”.

Despite the absence of President Obama, around 60 world leaders are expected here at UN headquarters, including French President Francois Hollande and Prime Minister Trudeau from Canada.

儘管奧巴馬總統缺席, 但大約60位世界各國領導人預計會來聯合國總部, 包括法國總統奧朗德和加拿大總理特魯多.

But their signatures alone will not be enough to make the Paris agreement operational. The legal requirements mean that each country will have to go through a process of ratification. For some this will require nothing more than the assent of the political leader as in the example of the United States.

但光有他們的簽字還不足以將巴黎協議付諸實施. 法律要求意味着每個國家都必須走批准程序. 對一些國家而言, 這隻須政治領導人的同意即可, 譬如美國.

Others though, such as India and Japan, will have to take the document to their parliaments; some may need new laws. The European Union is expected to lag behind on this issue as it has not yet agreed with the 28 member states on how emissions cuts will be shared out. Each member state will also have to ratify the deal individually.

然而對印度和日本等另一些國家來說, 必須把協議提交國會; 有些國家可能需要新的法律. 歐盟估計會在這個問題上滯後, 因爲它尚未與其28個成員國就如何分攤減排量達成協議. 每個成員國還得單獨批准協議.

Some countries, including the Marshall Islands, Palau, Fiji and Switzerland, have already completed this step and will be able to formally join the agreement on April 22.

其他國家,包括馬紹爾羣島, 帕勞羣島, 斐濟和瑞士, 已經走完這一步, 將能夠在4月22日正式加入該協議.

To become operational, the treaty needs at least 55 countries representing at least 55% of global emissions to complete all the steps. While this is a tough threshold to reach an unusual coalition of interests is making it possible.

落實協議, 需要至少代表全球排放量55%的55個國家完成所有步驟. 雖然這是個艱難的坎兒, 但達成不同尋常的利益聯盟使跨過這個坎兒成爲可能.

Firstly President Obama is keen to ensure the deal is operational before his successor takes office next January. If the next President wants to take the US out of an established treaty they will have to wait for four years - by which time they may no longer be in charge.

首先, 奧巴馬總統熱切希望於明年一月繼任者就職前確保協議生效. 如果下一任總統想使美國退出已確立的協議, 他們得等上4年, 而到那時, 他們或許已不再管事了.

Many of the least developed countries are pushing forward as well because a clerical error in the drafting of the new agreement means it becomes operational as soon as it hits the 55/55 mark, and not in 2020 as many people had supposed.

許多最不發達國家也在向前推進, 因爲起草新協議時的一個書寫錯誤意味着, 一旦協議達到55(個國家)/55(%的減排量)的目標, 就會立刻生效, 而不是像很多人認爲的要等到2020年.