Paris climate deal 'our best chance'
195 countries reach landmark agreement to tackle climate change after two weeks of Paris talks
FRENCH foreign minister Laurent Fabius was moved to tears as he announced a landmark deal between 195 countries to tackle climate change, after two weeks of negotiations in Paris.
The agreement, described by French prime minister Manuel Valls as "unprecedented", sets out a global goal to limit temperature rises to "well below" 2°C.
Fabius said: "It is my deep conviction that we have come up with an ambitious and balanced agreement." A standing ovation of several minutes followed.
Among the measures approved are a plan to peak greenhouse gas emissions as soon as possible and bring levels down in the second half of this century, with a progress review every five years. Global temperature increases should be kept "well below" 2°C, with a goal to limit it to 1.5°C.
"Un petit marteau qui peut faire de grandes choses" dixit Laurent Fabius # COP21 pic.twitter.com/8ejP7amIei— Anne-Laure Chouin (@annelaurechouin) December 12, 2015
US president Barack Obama said the Paris deal, which will come into effect in 2020, was "the best chance we have to save the one planet we have".
Greenpeace said it was promising that almost 200 countries had reached an agreement. However the group's executive director Kumi Naidoo said: "The Paris Agreement is only one step on a long road, and there are parts of it that frustrate and disappoint me, but it is progress. This deal alone won't dig us out the hole we're in, but it makes the sides less steep."
