“Building back better is becoming less and less of a guarantee, given the new (climate) normal might still be replaced by an even newer normal that is even more destructive if we fail to act”, he told the event.
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McConnell has accused Obama of seeking to implement his Clean Energy Plan “by executive fiat”, and has warned that the result could be the elimination of 250,000 jobs and higher energy costs in more than 40 states.
The world leaders are on a mission to come to a legally binding agreement to cut down the greenhouse gas emissions threatening to destroy the Earth. It’s unclear whether the gap between those proposals and the 2-degree goal can be closed in the next two weeks.
Duncan Marsh, director of the global climate program at the Nature Conservancy, said both leaders’ speeches were made not only to the world leaders assembled at the United Nations conference but also to their home audiences. “Our goal must be a transformation”.
French President Francois Hollande said he was encouraged by the start of talks that are planned to run until December 11. “We must leave our children more than a world free of terror, we owe them a planet protected from disasters, a viable livable planet”.
New this morning: the White House is announcing 73 more American companies promising to go green, reducing emissions by as much as half, and converting to 100 percent renewable energy.
President Barack Obama says he’s confident the world will forge a major climate change agreement in the coming weeks.
China was not the only developing country to suggest that richer nations should carry a heavier burden when it comes to climate change initiatives. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi paints the picture vividly: imagine what it takes to bring energy access to 300-million Indians, all while polluting less than developed nations did to achieve the same goal.
As the summit got underway, the capitals of India and China were blanketed in smog. The money will be spent on technologies designed specifically to reduce greenhouse gas. “This is in our collective interest”, he said. All is not lost though as Pakistan can still push for a legally binding agreement because its absence will increase its vulnerability to the severity of disasters.
The U.S.is insisting it not be called treaty, so it doesn’t have to be approved by Congress.
In his address to the conference, Obama acknowledged that taking strong action on the environment has not always been a political victor. “And that’s the same dynamic that we’re trying to create here”, said Gates. “And that should give us hope”.
More on Syria today with Turkey’s president.
Then there’s the difficulty of getting an agreement with developing nations, who need fossil fuels to lift their peoples out of poverty. “Helping developing nations skip the dirty phase of development is vital to meeting this challenge”, Obama said.
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President Xi Jinping will attend the opening ceremony of Paris Climate Summit from 29th Nov to 30th Nov, to express China’s attitude and contribute China’s wisdom to tackle climate change with the world.
