国际英语新闻:Nations Unanimously Adopt Paris Climate Agreement

One key issue not addressed in the agreement is how richer countries and poorer countries should divide up responsibility to pay for climate change programs.

Giving the talks momentum was the presence of so many world leaders at the start, with the determination to take centralized, collective action.

On Friday, U.S. President Barack Obama had said, “This is a turning point, that this is the moment we finally determined we would save our planet, is the fact that our nations share a sense of urgency about this challenge and a growing realization that it is within our power to do something about it."

U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry had held round-the-clock meetings to make the agreement happen. He earlier announced a U.S. pledge to double climate investment to about $800 million in the most vulnerable countries.

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The draft sets a goal of $100 billion a year in climate financing for poor nations by 2020.

The deal was reached despite opposition led by India, China, Saudi Arabia and Malaysia. They argued industrialized nations should shoulder more of the burden.

These nations’ economies are dependent on fossil fuels and the transition to greener energy will be especially painful for them.

French President Francois Hollande, the conference’s host, called on nations to think collectively.

“An agreement will not be perfect for anyone if they read it only with their interests in mind. But it’s for everyone’s good.”

'Act for humanity'

Hollande called adoption of the draft “a major act for humanity.”

There was some reluctance from African nations, but in the end, they are getting billions of dollars in pledges to fund green energy projects.

France alone committed to spending more than $2 billion.

South African Environment Minister Edna Molewa said her country never expected a perfect agreement. “It’s a give and take situation in the negotiations. And indeed what comes out of here, we will know that some people may not be happy about this, not happy about that, and so forth,” she said. “But we are here."

The final deal falls short of the 2 degree target on slowing global warming and developing nations did not get the compensation they wanted from rich countries for environmental damage, but organizers call it historic and say it likely marks a new era of common, global efforts on climate change.