Island nations got their wish Saturday at the United Nations Climate Change Conference in Paris as delegates from 195 countries signed on to an agreement that seeks to limit global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels.
UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon called the signing a “monumental triumph for people and our planet,” in a UN press release, which states that the final agreement covers “all the crucial areas identified as essential,” including reducing emissions, assisting countries dealing with loss and damage, and accounting for climate change in each country.
“Governments have agreed to binding, robust, transparent rules of the road to ensure that all countries do what they have agreed across a range of issues,” Mr. Ban said in the release.
In remarks after the signing, United States President Barack Obama said that while not perfect, the agreement is a framework for moving forward.
“We’ve shown that the world has both the willingness and the ability to take on this challenge,” he said of the agreement.
See the Dec. 17, 2015 edition for full coverage.
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