The United Nations yesterday convened for a session where up to 170 countries were expected to sign the Paris Agreement on Climate. It is also quite apt that the event took place on Earth Day.

Malta  was amongst those countries which signed and will now proceed to transpose the deal into local legislation. The original deal to cut global emissions, was forecast to be implemented by the year 2020, but it seems that the world is finally awakening from its deep slumber and constant refusal to accept the reality of climate change. And at this rate, it might be activated by the end of this year.

The agreement will enter into force once 55 countries representing at least 55 percent of global emissions have formally joined it. The United States and China, which together account for nearly 40 percent of global emissions, have said they intend to join this year.

The Paris Agreement, the world's response to hotter temperatures, rising seas and other impacts of climate change, was reached in December as a major breakthrough in UN climate negotiations, which for years were slowed by disputes between rich and poor countries over who should do what.

Under the agreement, countries set their own targets for reducing emissions of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases. The targets are not legally binding, but countries must update them every five years.

Scientific analyses show the initial set of targets that countries pledged before Paris don't match the agreement's long-term goal to keep global warming below 2 degrees Celsius, compared with pre-industrial times. Global average temperatures have already climbed by almost 1 degree C. Last year was the hottest on record.

The latest analysis by the Climate Interactive research group shows the Paris pledges put the world on track for 3.5 degrees C of warming. A separate analysis by Climate Action Tracker, a European group, projected warming of 2.7 degrees C.

Either way, scientists say the consequences could be catastrophic in some places, wiping out crops, flooding coastal areas and melting Arctic sea ice.

Malta is not immune to climate change. As an arid island in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea, we are susceptible to both drought, as well as rising sea levels. Farmers are already suffering this year because while last year was the hottest year ever recorded, Malta also endured the driest and warmest winter it has ever faced, leading to poor crops, added irrigation expenses for farmers and unseasonal pests which have attacked crops.

Some have questioned why Malta should curb its emissions and there are a good number of reasons. The first short term benefit is that of improved air quality. But the real issue here is that if the entire world does not get its act together and cut emissions, then we will soon face swift retribution from mother nature.

The seas will rise, and our coast will be devastated, leading the loss of a significant chunk of our already tiny land mass. While Malta’s emissions in themselves will not affect the bigger picture, we too must learn to live a new life.

Failure to do so might mean that in the future – perhaps not too distant – many Maltese would have to migrate elsewhere, simply because there will not be enough space for us to live and to grow food to eat. Climate change is quite possibly the biggest threat to humanity that we have ever experienced. At least, it seems that we are now aware and actively trying to do something about it.