The state has announced it will sign onto the Under 2 MOU agreement – a worldwide compact to limit the increase in global average temperature to below two degrees Celsius (3.6 degrees Fahrenheit).

The effort is part of the 2015 United Nations Climate Change Conference, also known as COP 21, taking place in Paris. Those who sign the Under 2 MOU agree to reduce their greenhouse gas emissions 80 to 95 percent below 1990 levels or limit to two metric tons CO2-equivalent per capita by 2050. Connecticut’s own statutory climate reduction target requires emission reductions of at least 80 percent by 2050 from 2001 levels. The adopted legislation also contained an interim goal of a 10 percent reduction from 1990 levels by 2020, which Connecticut achieved in 2012, according to Gov. Dannel P. Malloy.

“We are making strong progress on all fronts and our state has emerged as a national leader on climate action. Signing the Under 2 MOU aligns us with other jurisdictions who share our deep commitment to protecting the future of our planet and safeguarding the well-being of everyone who lives here,” Malloy said in a statement.