Climate deal unveiled in Paris, cheers on release of pact

French hosts of UN talks submitted to cheers and applause on Saturday a proposed 195-nation accord to defeat global warming. French foreign minister Laurent Fabius, delivered the proposal to ministers who, at the time of going to press, were left with the task of deciding whether to approve it, possibly within hours. “It is my conviction that we have come up with an ambitious... agreement,” Fabius said, telling the ministers they would achieve a “historic turning point” for the world if they endorsed it.

The hoped-for deal seeks to end decades-long rows between rich and poor nations over how to fund the multi-trillion-dollar campaign. With 2015 forecast to be the hottest year on record, world leaders and scientists have warned the accord is vital for capping rising temperatures and averting the most catastrophic consequences of climate change.

Fabius said that, if approved, the deal would set a “floor” in funding, in which at least $100 billion (€92 billion) a year from 2020 would be channelled to help the developing world fight global warming. It would also aim at limiting warming of the planet since the Industrial Revolution to “well below” 2.0o Celsius and strive for an even more ambitious goal of 1.5o C, he said.

French president François Hollande and UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon sat on stage alongside Fabius as he made a lengthy speech imploring ministers to approve the blueprint on Saturday. “You have a chance to change the world,” Hollande told delegates. US Secretary of State John Kerry added to the optimism, saying, “It should be good, but we’ll see. Little things can happen, but we think it’s teed up,” Kerry said.

The proposed agreement came after negotiators missed an initial deadline of Friday to sign an accord, as feuding ministers refused to budge on entrenched positions. Developed and developing nations have been divided over how much responsibility each side must shoulder. A closely watched part of the new text will be details on the framework for reviewing and improving national pledges.