Global leaders gather in New York today, Earth Day, to sign the Paris Agreement on climate change at United Nations Headquarters when they will participate in a signature ceremony hosted by UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon.

The Paris Agreement was adopted by all 196 Parties to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) at the UN Climate Change Conference in Paris on 12 December 2015. In the Agreement, all countries agreed to work to limit global temperature rise to well below 2 degrees Celsius, and to strive for 1.5 degrees Celsius.

More than 165 countries will sign the landmark accord, setting a record for the most countries to sign an international agreement on one day.

The event coincides with International Mother Earth Day and in his message on the Day, Mr. Ban said the Paris accord, in conjunction with the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, holds the power to transform our world.

All of the world’s largest economies, and the largest greenhouse gas emitters, have indicated that they will sign the agreement on Friday. The signing is the first step towards ensuring that the agreement enters into force as soon as possible. After signing, countries must take the further national (or domestic) step of accepting or ratifying the agreement.

The agreement will enter into force 30 days after at least 55 countries, accounting for at least 55 per cent of global greenhouse gas emissions, deposit their instruments of ratification or acceptance with the Secretary-General.