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Proposal for Resolution No 18 /XIII

Portugal is Part of the United Nations Framework Convention for Climate Change

since June 13, 1992, having proceeded at its ratification on June 21, 1993,

by the Decree No. 20/93, published in 1ª series-A of the Journal of the Republic, No. 14, of

June 21, 1993.

This Convention is aimed at stabilization of concentrations in the atmosphere of gases

with a greenhouse effect at a level that prevents dangerous anthropogenic interference with the

climate system.

In the senda of the proceedings commenced in the 17 th Conference of the Parties of the United Nations to the

Climate Change in Durban South Africa, on December 12, 2015, was

adopted, in the 21ª Conference of the Parties, the Paris Agreement, which constitutes a global agreement

and binding. It was, likewise, adopted a set of decisions that operationalize

since already some of the elements of this Agreement and they give continuity to the process of drafting

of rules, procedures and institutions necessary for its effective implementation.

The Paris Agreement constitutes a milestone in the strengthening of collective action at the global level and ends

itself the potential to promote the global transition to low-carbon societies and

resilient to climate change. This Agreement constitutes very significant progress

in relation to the Kyoto Protocol of 1997 that was, until the Paris Conference, the only

legally binding treaty aimed at reducing gas emissions with

greenhouse effect, covering only a few developed countries and whose commitments

vigorate until the end of 2020.

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The overall political commitment in this regard was reaffirmed at the signing ceremony for the

Agreement that was held in New York, on April 22, 2016,-in which 175

Parties to the Convention, including the European Union and its Member States. On that date,

the Commission and the Council, in representation of the European Union, and all 28 States-

members, in their own representation, signed the Agreement.

The European Union and its 28 Member States have submitted their NDC (contribution

determined nationally) in March 2015, when they made the commitment

binding to achieve together, reflecting the climate and energy package for 2030, by the

minus 40% reduction in greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by 2030, with

basis in 1990 and on the terms agreed upon in the European Council of October 24, 2014.

In this context, the EU and its Member States have expressed their intent to act

jointly in the framework of the Paris Agreement.

Portugal adopted in 2015, through the Resolution of the Council of Ministers No. 56/2015, of

July 30, the Strategic Framework for Climate Policy (QEPiC), including the Program

National for Climate Change 2020/2030 (PNAC 2020/2030) and the Strategy

National of Adaptation to Climate Change (ENAAC 2020), which sets out the vision and

the goals of national climate policy in the horizon 2030. In this context, Portugal

should reduce its greenhouse gas emissions to values from -18% to -23%,

in 2020, and from -30% to -40%, in 2030, in the face of values of 2005, ensuring compliance

of national mitigation commitments and putting Portugal in line with the goals

European.

In this way, taking into account not only the provisions of the Paris Agreement, but also the

guidelines of national and European policy for climate change already mentioned,

it is considered that Portugal is prepared to proceed to the approval of the Paris Agreement.

However, it is stressed that at the time of the deposit of the instrument of ratification with the

Secretary-General of the United Nations, Portugal should carry out a coordinated action and

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collective with the remaining Member States and with the European Union itself.

Thus:

Under the terms of the paragraph d) of Article 197 (1) of the Constitution, the Government presents to the

Assembly of the Republic the following motion for a resolution:

Approve the Paris Agreement, adopted in Paris, on December 12, 2015, the text of which, in the

authenticated version in English language and respect translation in Portuguese language publishes

in attachment.

Seen and approved in Council of Ministers of July 21, 2016

The Prime Minister

The Minister of Foreign Affairs

The Secretary of State for Parliamentary Affairs