Pushing for a powerful climate deal, President Barack Obama called the global talks opening Monday outside Paris an “act of defiance” against terrorism that proves the world stands undeterred by Islamic State-linked attacks in Europe and beyond. He said Niger and other Sahel countries were waiting for a strong response from the worldwide community.
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Meanwhile, Republican presidential frontrunner Donald Trump said on Monday that Obama’s comments that climate change poses one of the greatest threats to the U.S. is one of the “dumbest things” ever said.
The White House has said Obama would veto the measures if they pass. Congress does not appear to have sufficient votes to override the veto.
“With respect to my successor, let me first of all say I’m anticipating a Democrat succeeding me”, he said.
“It would obviously be irresponsible for an outgoing president to purport to sign the American people up to global commitments based on a domestic energy plan that is likely illegal”, wrote Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) in a recent Washington Post op-ed.
A climate deal is by no means guaranteed.
“It is also important that climate-friendly technologies be transferred to developing countries”, Xi noted.
A United Nations body on loss and damage is due to start working out how to combat the effects of climate change that are nearly impossible to adjust to, such as rising seas and creeping deserts.
COP 21 is more promising than past conferences because 153 countries, including the U.S., China and Russian Federation, have submitted their INDCs amid a heightened sense of crisis fueled by the frequent occurrence of extreme weather events.
The leaders of rapidly industrialized, China and India, are skeptical on any kind of climate change deal which would affect the economic development of their countries.
“There is a solution to this issue of too many coal plants on the books: cancel them”, said Pieter Van Breevoort of Ecofys, an energy research organisation which is part of Climate Action Tracker.
“I can’t tell you who to vote for … at least not right now”, Obama said during a September visit to Iowa. Negotiating blocs broke into smaller groups focused on issues like mitigation and finance, with smaller spin-off groups delving into more arcane details.
“I’m sure there will be moments over the next two weeks where progress seems stymied and everyone rushes to write that we are doomed”, he said. “Keep in mind nobody expected that 180 countries would show up in Paris with serious climate targets in hand”.
The encounters highlighted one of the biggest debates in the effort to reach an worldwide accord to fight global warming: how much aid rich countries should give poor ones to help them adapt to climate change and reduce their emissions. But he believes that the commitments will send “a signal to researchers and scientists and investors and entrepreneurs and venture funds”, to innovate.
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Yesterday, one major announcement from the sideline of the official talks came from Bill Gates. “And that’s going to be critical in us having high ambitions and holding each other accountable”, he said.
