House votes to reject Obama climate change regulations

His goal of a Paris deal that is legally binding is unlikely, because to be binding he probably would have to submit it in the form of a treaty. Obama stopped short of specifying the type of sanctions countries should receive if they fail to meet specific targets.

“What we should be doing here is providing some wind at the back of not only our president, but of all the leaders of the world who are gathering to try to figure out how to deal with this challenge”, Massachusetts Democratic Rep. Jim McGovern said on the House floor, according to CNN. “A single transparency mechanism that all countries are adhering to” and said those mechanisms must be “legally binding”.

Approximately 150 world leaders are gathered in Paris working together to create a universal climate agreement to lower greenhouse-gas emissions and prevent further destruction due to climate change. “And that’s why it’s important for us to not project what’s being said on a campaign trail but to do what’s right and make the case”, Mr. Obama told reporters who questioned his ability to bind the next Oval Office occupant. “This is happening. We’re not turning back”.

The President listed several criteria for a potential agreement, including an “ambitious target” to reduce carbon output and a slate of tools to measure countries’ progress.

There is no way for the Obama administration to enforce any of the agreements made during the summit, according to the report. “And that’s going to be critical in us having high ambitions and holding each other accountable”, the President said.

“I think the stars are really aligning here”, Pasztor said. “If you said you’re going to do this and don’t live up to the pledge, that puts you in a place you don’t want to be”.

“All of this will be hard”, Obama said, adding that getting the world community “to agree on anything is hard”. But a fully binding climate treaty would require additional approval from the countries’ governments, including the Republican-run Congress in the USA, which isn’t likely.

A largely party line vote of 242-180 came as President Barack Obama was in Paris for a global climate change conference.

Some climatologists remain pessimistic about the talks.

But as the leaders departed Paris, it became apparent that disagreements which have blocked a deal over four years of lead-up negotiations remain unresolved.

“Get ready for the great deceit and hypocrisy”, he wrote.

So India’s emissions, under its Paris climate pledge, could double. “Second, in the end, it’ll be a carbon price …”

In Tuesday’s speech, Obama discussed the gargantuan task facing political leaders.

Climate change, he argues, threatens to cause these problems. “It’s a generational problem”. The Dec. 1 announcement is meant to help ramp up an effort announced by the seven leading industrialized economies in June to cover an additional 400 million of the world’s poorest and most vulnerable people particularly exposed to climate impacts, during the next five years.

President Obama appears to feel confident that the Indian prime minister will commit to lowering carbon emissions, and protecting the planet.

One of the sticking points is who pays.

The statement said that BASIC will work pragmatically with all other parties for an equitable and balanced climate agreement.

Though 184 countries have presented plans to cut or curb emissions of greenhouse gases, many are conditional on financial support from wealthy countries.

More than 190 countries are taking part in the Paris talks based on a collective understanding that humans are contributing to global warming and have some role to play in slowing it.