>>Climate Change Conference to reach agreement for preventing climate catastrophes
Representatives from 195 nations in the world on December 12 approved a historic accord in Paris to stop global warming, offering hope that humanity can avert catastrophic climate change and usher in an energy revolution.
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| French President Francois Hollande, French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius, United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-moon and UN climate chief Christiana Figueres applaud after a statement at the COP21 Climate Conference in Paris on December 12, 2015__Photo: AFP |
World leaders and scientists said the Paris Agreement was vital for capping rising temperatures and averting the most calamitous effects of climate change.
Without urgent action, they warned, mankind faced increasingly severe droughts, floods and storms, and sea level rise that would engulf islands and coastal areas populated by hundreds of millions of people.
“The agreement establishes the enduring framework the world needs to solve the climate crisis,” US President Barack Obama said, adding “We came together around the strong agreement the world needed. We met the moment.”
The accord sets a target of limiting warming of the planet to below 2 degrees Celsius compared with the Industrial Revolution, while aiming for an even more ambitious goal of 1.5 degrees Celsius.
To do so, greenhouse gas emissions will need to peak "as soon as possible", followed by rapid reductions, the agreement states.
In a statement made on December 13, Foreign Minister Spokesman Le Hai Binh said the ratification of the deal at the 2015 United Nations Climate Change Conference was an important step in global efforts in dealing with climate change.
"The world community needs to have strong political determination and effective cooperation to seriously and appropriately implement the Paris deal," Binh said.
"Developed countries should take the lead to limit the effects of greenhouse gas emissions, support and enhance capacity for developing countries to implement the deal together," he stressed.
Binh noted that being amongst the most-affected countries, Vietnam had actively taken measures to cope with climate change and seriously implemented international commitments on climate change.
Vietnam had also actively participated in the Paris Agreement negotiations and, together with other countries, exerted great efforts to respond to climate change, as well as protect the country’s legitimate interests, the spokesman said.-(VNS/VLLF)
