The White House had already said parts of the deal should be legally binding, but this is the first time Obama has said it himself, and spelled out which ones.
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Rep. Frank Pallone, D-N.J., said it was regrettable that Republicans were trying to block the power-plant rules even as officials from more than 190 almost countries and numerous world’s largest private companies gathered in Paris to work out details of a global agreement to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
Two-thirds of Americans support the United States joining a binding worldwide agreement to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, according to the latest New York Times/CBS News poll.
Mr. Obama is walking a tightrope, arguing to world leaders that he can politically and morally bind his successors to any deal they strike while being aware that sentiment is decidedly mixed back home.
Hundreds of thousands of people joined climate change protests, marches and other events around the world on November 29 to send a message to leaders on the eve of COP21 that the world is waiting for climate change action.
China, speaking on behalf of the BASIC countries comprising India, South Africa, Brazil and itself, set the tone of the day demanding that the developed countries must take ambitious “economy-wide (emission reduction) targets” not just after 2020, but in the pre-2020 period as well.
While there is a “legitimate, honest debate” about abortion in the United States, Obama said, but people should make sure that “we’re talking about it factually, accurately, and not demonizing organizations like Planned Parenthood I think is important”.
U.S. President Barack Obama says climate change is an “economic and security imperative” that must be tackled now.
US Secretary of State John Kerry told the Financial Times last month that any agreement reached at the end of the two-week conference in Paris would not be a treaty, which would require Senate approval.
The climate meeting also included talks about threats of the Islamic State, less than three weeks after its attacks on meetings. “They have invested for years now in keeping Assad in power”.
Kiribati President Anote Tong said Pacific Islands would “dig our feet” in on loss and damage, because its absence would render a deal it meaningless to the world’s most vulnerable.
Also Tuesday, French President Francois Hollande announced France will give African countries $2.1 billion over the next four years to develop renewable energy sources and replace fossil fuels.
An artwork entitled “One Heart One Tree” by artist Naziha Mestaoui is displayed on the Eiffel tower ahead of the 2015 Paris Climate Conference, in Paris.
On Tuesday, the negotiations began in earnest, with the key task of figuring out who will pay for everything the leaders say needs to be done.
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The talks, which run through December 11, are aimed at a broader, tougher replacement to the 1997 Kyoto Protocol.
