What is the Paris Climate Agreement and when can Biden rejoin deal? OLD

President-elect Joe Biden has vowed that among the first things he will do on entering the White House is rejoin the Paris Climate Accord, the international pact to cut global emissions and get a grip on the climate crisis.

President Trump withdrew the US from the agreement in 2017, calling it a “disaster” for America.

“I will join the Paris Accord because with us out of it, look what’s happening. It’s all falling apart,” he said during his first presidential debate with Donald Trump, pointing to the rampant destruction of Brazil’s rainforests, happening in the vacuum of US diplomatic leadership.

Read more: What are Biden's plans to fight climate change?

Below is a breakdown of the background, significance and future prospects of the Paris Accord - and what it will mean for the US to re-enter.