Nicaragua Signs Paris Climate Agreement

Nicaragua has signed the Paris climate agreement, meaning that the US and Syria are the only two countries not to be giving the accord their support.

The deal unites the world's nations in tackling climate change.

Nicaragua refused to sign it last year, arguing that it did not go far enough to tackle the problem.

In June President Donald Trump said the US would withdraw from the deal, but the rules of the agreement state that this cannot be done until 2020.

The president said it was part of his "solemn duty to protect America" and he would seek a new deal that would not disadvantage US businesses.

Scientists point out that work to implement the Paris accord must be stepped up if it is to have any chance of success.

The agreement commits the US and 187 other countries to keeping rising global temperatures "well below" 2C above pre-industrial levels and "endeavour to limit" them even more, to 1.5C.

Nicaraguan President Daniel Ortega indicated last week that he would sign the accord.

"It is time for Nicaragua to sign the Paris Agreement," Mr Ortega said on the official July 19 website.

"Scientists from more developed countries, scientists working at Nasa, European scientists, everyone agrees that we must stop the process that is leading to the destruction of the planet," he said.

Mr Ortega's government had previously argued that the accord did not put sufficient onus on wealthy countries to tackle climate change and was not ambitious enough in its objectives.

Nicaragua has no oil and vigorously pursues green energy policies - more than 50% of its electricity is produced by geothermic, wind, solar, biomass and wave power. It is a country that is believed to be especially at risk from climate change

What is Paris climate agreement?

The deal unites all the world's nations in a single agreement on tackling climate change for the first time in history.

Coming to a consensus among nearly 200 countries on the need to cut greenhouse gas emissions is regarded by many observers as an achievement in itself and has been hailed as "historic".

The Kyoto Protocol of 1997 set emission cutting targets for a handful of developed countries, but the US pulled out and others failed to comply.

However, scientists point out that the Paris accord must be stepped up if it is to have any chance of curbing dangerous climate change.

Pledges thus far could see global temperatures rise by as much as 2.7C, but the agreement lays out a roadmap for speeding up progress

What are the key elements?

• To keep global temperatures "well below" 2.0C (3.6F) above pre-industrial times and "endeavour to limit" them even more, to 1.5C

• To limit the amount of greenhouse gases emitted by human activity to the same levels that trees, soil and oceans can absorb naturally, beginning at some point between 2050 and 2100
• To review each country's contribution to cutting emissions every five years so they scale up to the challenge

• For rich countries to help poorer nations by providing "climate finance" to adapt to climate change and switch to renewable energy.