United States recognises role in creating emissions problem: Obama

On Monday, the leaders of the main players necessary to achieve the ambitious goal – China and the United States – sat down together at the COP21.

“Climate change is a massive problem, it’s a generational problem”, Obama said on the sidelines of the November 30-December 11 United Nations conference being held north of Paris.

Considering Trump’s usual type of Instagram ad, this one actually takes a serious tone.

I say this often, but that’s because it’s always at the front of my mind: We’ve got to preserve this attractive planet of ours for our kids and grandkids.

Check out the ad above, via Instagram.

Given that until recently the USA was the largest emitter of greenhouse gases, that seems obvious.

The President said his country recognised its role in creating the problem, while elsewhere, Pope Francis told world leaders it was “now or never” for making the crucial changes.

“I have long believed the most elegant way to drive innovation and reduce carbon emissions is to put a price on it”, he said. “You have the capability to negotiate a climate agreement in Paris that will mark the turning point in the world’s efforts to avert catastrophic climate damage and thus protect the human rights of present and future generations”.

Obama said that even if a Republican replaces him, the next president would still follow through on an agreement aiming to curb the effects of climate change.

“Countries should be allowed to seek their own solutions, according to their national interest”, he said.

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi called for a “comprehensive, equitable and durable agreement that leads us to restore balance between humanity and nature”. When we have large groups of people that want to blow up every one of our cities, that want to destroy our country, that want to kill our people, and he’s anxious about global warming.

The climate conference seeks to reach a global consensus on carbon dioxide emissions with legally binding reduction targets.