Failure to reach an agreement would make it virtually impossible to avoid devastating climate change
World leaders have urged negotiators – and each other – not to throw away a unique opportunity to agree decisive action to curb climate change, as talks at the United Nations summit begin in Paris.
Nearly 150 leaders and heads of state, including David Cameron, Barack Obama and Prince Charles, were at the opening of the make-or-break conference to tackle global warming.
The US President invoked the urgency of the civil rights movement in his homeland 50 years ago. “I believe in the words of Dr Martin Luther King Jr that there is such a thing as being too late,” said Mr Obama. “And when it comes to climate change, that hour is almost upon us.”
He added: “What greater rejection of those who would tear down our world than marshalling our best efforts to save it? We salute the people of Paris for insisting that this crucial conference will go on.”
David Cameron talks to Francois Hollande as Prince Charles looks on in Paris (Reuters)
Prince Charles echoed his call, urging world leaders to “think of your grandchildren, as I think of mine”, as he demanded greater action to tackle climate change.
During the two-week conference, representatives from nearly 200 countries will work furiously in the hope of agreeing a treaty strong enough to limit global warming to 2C, beyond which the consequences become increasingly devastating. In the run-up to the summit,
more than 170 countries have pledged to cut carbon emissions that would limit climate change to 2.7C. They must now agree a way to ensure those pledges are monitored and met and a system that would require each country to increase its pledge every few years until the 2C target is hit.
The presidents of Russia and the US were among leaders discussing climate change (PA)
Failure to reach an agreement would make it virtually impossible to avoid devastating climate change, as it would take years to rebuild sufficient momentum to make another attempt. “You are here today to write the script for a new future… A political moment may not come again. We have never faced such a test. But neither have we encountered such great opportunity,” said the French President François Hollande.
The UN climate chief, Christiana Figueres, added: “The eyes of millions of people around the world are on the Paris meeting. You have the opportunity, in fact the responsibility, to finalise an agreement that delivers.”
Climate change protests around the world
People rally to promote climate protection in Rome, Italy Hundreds of demonstrators gather in front of City Hall in Los Angeles, California EPA People hold hands to form a human chain during a gathering called by ecologist organisations in Marseille, southern France, to protest against global warming a day ahead of the United Nations Conference on Climate Change (COP21) held in Paris Demonstrators clash with French riot police during protests on Place de la Republique, ahead of the COP21 World Climate Change Conference 2015 in Paris, France Demonstrators clash with French riot police during a protest on Place de la Republique ahead of the COP21 World Climate Change Conference 2015 in Paris, France A group of people perform during a rally to promote climate protection in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil A protester sits next to his sign that reads 'Monsanto the Devil Incorporated ' as he joined hundreds of demonstrators who gathered in front of City Hall in Los Angeles, California EPA Environmentalists dance during a protest near the Place de la Republique after the cancellation of a planned climate march following shootings in the French capital, ahead of the World Climate Change Conference 2015 (COP21), in Paris, France Reuters People protest next to characters dressed as wild animals during a march against climate change near the Monument to the Revolution, in Mexico City AP Protesters carries a banner while they take part in a protest about climate change at New York City Hall steps in lower Manhattan, New York Reuters People take part in a protest about climate change around New York City Hall at lower Manhattan, New York Reuters People rally to promote climate protection in Piazza Castello, Turin, Italy A woman holds a globe during a protest for the global climate day in Lugano, Switzerland Yemenis hold banners as they participate in the Global March for Climate in the old city of Sanaía, Yemen Protesters dressed as Santa Claus take part in a protest about climate change at New York City Hall steps in lower Manhattan, New York Reuters People gather at the Legislative Palace in Montevideo, during the Global Climate March to demand action on climate change telling world leaders on the eve of a crunch UN summit that there is "no planet B". From Sydney to London, humid Rio to chilly New York, at least 683,000 hit the streets in 2,300 events across 175 countries at the weekend, co-organiser and campaign group Avaaz said, calling it the largest number of people to protest over climate change all at once Getty Images Demonstrators participate in the Global March for Climate in Athens, Greece A man wearing a Bernie Sanders mask leads hundreds of demonstrators who marched near City Hall in Los Angeles, California EPA Patricia Hauser joined hundreds of demonstrators who gathered in front of City Hall in Los Angeles, California A woman holds a poster of a sick Earth as she joined hundreds of demonstrators who gathered in front of City Hall in Los Angeles, California EPA Hundreds of demonstrators march around City Hall in Los Angeles, California EPA A demonstrator holds cut-out of US Democratic Presidential candidate Bernie Sanders as she joined hundreds of demonstrators who gathered in front of City Hall in Los Angeles, California EPA George Patten holds a sign that reads 'No Fracking Ever!' as he joined hundreds of demonstrators who gathered in front of City Hall in Los Angeles, California EPA Gabrielle Sosa wears 'Rising Sea Levels' sign as she joined hundreds of demonstrators who gathered in front of City Hall in Los Angeles, California EPA But leaders were at pains to remind each other that a huge amount of work remains to be done and in a short period.
In his speech, David Cameron asked how we could possibly explain to future generations that we had the opportunity to tackle climate change but didn’t take it.
“Let us imagine what we’d have to say to our grandchildren if we failed. We’d have to say that it was all too difficult and they would reply what was so difficult when the world was in peril?” he said.
“What we are looking at is not too difficult. It is doable and therefore we should come together and do it,” Mr Cameron added.
But campaigners accused the Prime Minister of preaching one thing while practising another at home in the UK.
David Cameron’s grandstanding on the international stage is riven with hypocrisy because of the complete incompetence of his government on climate change at home. Since the election. the UK government has taken a wrecking ball to clean energy and low carbon policies,” said Friends of the Earth chief executive Craig Bennett.