Mr Groser, speaking to the Herald from Los Angeles, said countries’ existing commitments to cut greenhouse gas emissions would lead to the planet warming by an estimated 2.7C to 3C this century.
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The agreement will come into effect by 2020, once at least 55 countries responsible for 55 percent of global greenhouse gases ratify the accord.
It includes a target to keep temperature rises “well below” 2C and commits to strive to curb increases to 1.5C, as well as a five-year review system to increase ambition on cutting emissions to meet the temperature goals.
The Paris Agreement will be deposited at the United Nations in NY and opened for one year for signature from 22 April 2016. “As a result of the climate agreement, we can be more confident that the Earth will be in a better shape”, he said.
This acknowledges scientific conclusions that an increase in atmospheric temperatures over 2 degrees Celsius may ensure that the planet’s future will involve rising sea levels, an increase of devastating floods and droughts, and more powerful storms.
James Taylor, vice president and senior fellow for environment and energy policy at The Heartland Institute, said, “The final draft of the proposed “Paris Agreement” gives disastrous primacy to politics, political correctness, and global wealth transfers at the expense of sound science”.
But it was widely – if cautiously in some quarters – welcomed by businesses, campaigners, scientists and analysts. “I believe this moment can be a turning point for the world”, Obama said in an address to the nation.
Achieving either of these goals will require advancements in technology and, perhaps more challenging, political will. Transitioning to lower carbon emissions will be hard and expensive, but it won’t be as costly as the economic, political and security upheavals that aggressive global warming would bring.
On the basis of common but differentiated responsibilities and respective capabilities, developed countries agreed to raise 100 billion USA dollars a year by 2020 to help developing countries transform their economies. “But make no mistake, the Paris agreement establishes the enduring framework the world needs to solve the climate crisis”.
He accused the Prime Minister of failing to show the leadership the agreement demanded.
“Today I’ve heard from New Zealanders who were so proud that we played a part in the historic Paris agreement, but who are now angry to hear the Government is not intending to do anything about it back home”.
“David Cameron must now take his cue from Paris, reverse his Government’s cuts to clean energy and put real investment in the green jobs of the future”, he urged.
Image: Developed countries plans to invest $100bn annually to tackle the climate change until 2025.
“What matters now is how countries take action to deliver on the climate promises they have made in Paris”.
Bjorn Lomborg, president of the Cophenhagen Consensus: “To say that Paris will get us to “well below 2 degrees C” is cynical posturing at best”.
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Achieving its goals, however, will prove to be extremely hard.
