US and China to sign Paris climate deal in April

Countries responsible for 40% of world's carbon emissions to formally approve historic pact and pursue efforts to limit warming to 1.5C, reports Climate Home

China and the United States, the world's two leading carbon polluters, said on Thursday they planned to formally join the Paris climate agreement in 2016.

In a joint statement, the major powers agreed to sign the historic deal to cut carbon emissions at a UN ceremony in April, and take "respective domestic steps" to approve it as "early as possible this year."