Begin climate change action today: Ban Ki-moon

India’s demands for a clear differentiation between developed and developing countries, and a clause on sustainable lifestyles was included in the 31-page agreement.

Obama said the climate agreement made Saturday night by nearly 200 nations “can be a turning point for the world” and credited his administration for playing a key role.

“Communities need to continue organizing and holding their elected officials accountable so that they ultimately deliver the solutions we all need”, said Wenonah Hauter. One needs to be accommodative without changing the thrust of the agreement.

Secretary of state for energy and climate change Amber Rudd said the agreement was “an important step forward” and vital for long-term economic and global security.

“The Paris Agreement that was signed at the end of the United Nations’ COP21 conference is transformational”, said Assembly Speaker Toni Atkins, who represents San diego.

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Hong Lei said that China’s push for a successful conclusion to the Paris negotiations “fully shows that China is dealing with climate change issues as a responsible big country”. “They have no legally binding targets on finance or emissions cuts”, CSE director general Sunita Narain said.

Terming as historic and a major initiative to save the planet Earth, World leaders have all welcomed the climate deal to limit global warming to well below 2 degrees Celsius with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi describing it as a victory of “climate justice” while the pact evoked mixed reactions from environmentalists.

With 2015 forecast to be the hottest year on record, world leaders and scientists have warned a deal on limiting greenhouse gases is vital for capping temperatures and avoiding the consequences of a changing climate.

As previously agreed, all developed countries will collectively mobilise $100 billion per year from both the public and private sector, to help the poorest and most vulnerable countries to protect themselves from the effects of climate change and support low carbon development.

The universal agreement’s main aim is to keep a global temperature rise this century well below 2 degrees Celsius and to drive efforts to limit the temperature increase even further to 1.5 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels. Nations were bound to combat climate change, but without a detailed action plan.

The agreement for the first time, brings all nations into a common cause based on their historic, current and future responsibilities. “Unfortunately, this won’t stop the president from pursuing a domestic climate agenda that will raise energy prices on American families, but will have no impact on the climate”.

South African Environment Minister Edna Molewa said her country never expected a flawless agreement.