President Barack Obama said the United States, China and several other countries reached an “unprecedented breakthrough” Friday to curb greenhouse gas emissions – including a mechanism to verify compliance – after a frenzied day of diplomacy at the U.N. climate talks.
The agreement, which also includes the developing nations of India, South Africa and Brazil, requires each country to list the actions they will take to cut global warming pollution by specific amounts, a senior Obama administration official said. The official described the deal on the condition of anonymity because specific details had not been announced.
Under the agreement, the official said each country also will list the actions it will take to cut global warming pollution by specific amounts. The deal reiterates a goal that eight leading industrialized nations set earlier this year on long-term emission cuts and provides a mechanism to help poor countries prepare for climate change.
A European Union news conference to announce the EU reaction was postponed and an official said an overall agreement involving those nations not included in the deal that Obama announced was still being negotiated.
Obama suggested that Friday's agreement among the five countries would be adopted by the larger summit in its closing hours.
“I am leaving before the final vote,” he said. “We feel confident we are moving in the direction of a final accord.”
via My Way News – Obama says ‘unprecedented’ deal reached on climate.
