More than 180 countries have pledged to cut or curb their emissions, but scientists say much bigger reductions are needed to limit man-made warming of the Earth to 2 degrees Centigrade (3.8 degrees Fahrenheit) over pre-industrial times, the internationally agreed-upon goal.
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According to AFP, French police fired teargas Sunday to disperse climate change activists in Paris who threw objects at them during a demonstration ahead of key United Nations talks.
World leaders kicking off the United Nations climate conference in Paris have talked a lot about a moral duty to save the planet. Success in agreeing what would be by far the strongest worldwide pact yet to commit both rich and developing nations to the fight against global warming “is not yet achieved, but it is within reach”, French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius, chairman of the meeting, told delegates.
As Intellihub’s Shepard Ambellas writes, one-hundred and fifty heads of government are gathering over the course of the next few weeks for a massive climate summit that’s anticipated to attract over 40,000 visitors from around the globe.
The “ambitious” effort to develop clean energies initially involves eight countries – France, the U.S., India, South Korea, Saudi Arabia, Australia, Canada and Norway – according to a French official, who asked not to be named for lack of authorization to speak.
“When it comes to climate change, that hour is nearly upon us”.
The Russian leader also said any global agreement must be enforceable by law.
Obama is due to hold meetings with other world leaders during his two days in Paris, including with Chinese President Xi Jinping and Narendra Modi, Indian Prime Minister.
But the project could create intellectual property problems, and it’s unclear whether the future funding will be approved in USA or other budgets.
French President Francois Hollande’s popularity has jumped to its highest level in three years as voters backed his handling of the attacks that killed 130 people in Paris last month, an opinion poll showed on Tuesday.
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Standing in front of the site, Obama stayed silent, moving only to step forward and place a rose among the tributes. Riot police vans and plainclothes officers are stationed around the capital and by the national stadium Stade de France, which was one of the targets of the November 13 attacks and is near the climate conference venue.
