Gabon is first African country to submit its Climate Action Plan ahead of Paris 2015

Gabon has submitted its new climate action plan to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), the first African country to do so.

"I deeply appreciate Gabon's initiative and welcome this first INDC from an African nation," said Christiana Figueres, Executive Secretary of the UNFCCC.

This Intended Nationally Determined Contribution (INDC) comes well in advance of a new universal climate change agreement which will be reached at the UN climate conference in Paris, in December this year.

Including Gabon, 35 parties to the UNFCCC have formally submitted their INDCs, covering all the countries under the European Union plus the European Commission, Mexico, Norway, Russia, Switzerland and the United States.

The Paris agreement will come into effect in 2020, empowering all countries to act to prevent average global temperatures rising above 2 degrees Celsius and to reap the many opportunities that arise from a necessary global transformation to clean and sustainable development.

Ms Figueres is encouraging countries to come forward with their INDCs as soon as they are able, underlining their commitment and support towards this successful outcome in Paris. Governments agreed to submit their INDCs in advance of Paris.

Developed countries are expected to do so as soon as possible and, with Mexico and Gabon, developing countries have also started to submit their INDCs well in advance.