New Delhi: A landmark climate change deal was clinched in Paris on Saturday thats attempts to limit the rise in global temperatures to less than 2 degrees Celsius and endeavor to limit" them even more, to 1.5 degrees Celsius by the year 2100.
The pact, that came after two weeks of intense negotiations, is the first to commit all countries to cut carbon emissions.
The agreement is partly legally binding and partly voluntary.
Unparallel in terms of climate change or of the environment, it sets out a clear long term temperature limit for the planet and a clear way of getting there.
Nearly 200 countries took part in the negotiations to strike the deal to commit all countries to cut emissions, which would come into being in 2020 replacing the Kyoto protocol, an existing international agreement on climate change.
The Paris agreement runs to 31 pages with 29 articles, including objective, mitigation, adaptation, loss and damage, finance, technology development and transfer, capacity building, and transparency of action and support.
The agreement is much more comprehensive than the Kyoto Protocol which was limited to assigning greenhouse gas emission reduction targets for developed countries which are held responsible for global warming because of their uncontrolled emissions since the beginning of the industrial revolution.
COP21 Key points
• To peak greenhouse gas emissions as soon as possible and achieve a balance between sources and sinks of greenhouse gases in the second half of this century
• To keep global temperature increase "well below" 2C (3.6F) and to pursue efforts to limit it to 1.5C
• To review progress every five years
• Taking into account of the needs and priorities of developing countries, the agreement also eyes $100 billion a year by developed countries for developing countries from 2020.
Reactions
India
The target of well below 2 degrees Celsius and even more ambitious 1.5 degrees Celsius was originally expected not to be to the liking of developing countries like India and China who are major emitters on account of industrialisation but Environment Minister Prakash Javadekar was effusive in his welcome of the 31-page document.
“We are happy to note that all concerns of India have been taken on board,” Javdekar said.
US
US President Barack Obama has hailed the agreement as an "ambitious" and "historic", but also warned against complacency."This agreement represents the best chance we've had to save the one planet we've got. I believe this moment can be a turning point for the world,"Obama said in an address to the nation from White House.
China
China's chief negotiator Xie Zhenhua said the deal was not perfect. But he added that "this does not prevent us from marching historical steps forward".He also called on developed countries to abide by their promises to provide finance, technology development and transfer, and capacity building to developing countries.
France
“It is the moment of truth,” French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius as he released a draft agreement text he fifth and the last one that had come out during the course of this climate meet.
Australia
Australia's foreign minister, Julie Bishop, said the agreement involving all nations and trading competitors could give Australia “comfort” to take tougher action to reduce its greenhouse gas emissions.
