World leaders meet at UN to pledge fight against climate change

World Today

Years ahead of schedule, leaders from over 170 nations signed the Paris Agreement on climate change.

CCTV America’s Nathan King filed this wrap up from U.N. headquarters

It’s a day many thought would never come: an ambitious climate deal that if implemented, could literally save the planet.

The goal is to limit global warming and rid the world of fossil-fuel pollution.

Signing the deal is just the start. Many countries, including China, say they’re already implementing ambitious plans to cap carbon emissions by 2030, or before.

“We will take effective actions at home to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. China has set the target of achieving the peaking of CO2 emissions by about 2030, and is making best efforts to peak early,” Zhang Gaoli, Chinese vice-premier said.

The U.S. knows keeping any increase in global temperatures below two degrees Celsius will be a challenge, but one that Beijing and Washington are ready to meet.

“The new energy future. The efficiencies, the alternative resources, the clean options. None of what we have to achieve is beyond our capacity, technologically. The only question is whether it is beyond our collective resolve,” U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry said.

Leaders of both countries agree that switching to renewable energy is an investment, not a cost, and will do all they can to lead the way.


Yoav Magid discusses the climate agreement and Earth Day

To discuss the historic climate change signing at the U.N., Mike Walter spoke with Yoav Magid, Earth Day Campaign Director at the Earth Day Network.


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To further discuss the importance of the climate agreement signing at the U.N., Mike Walter spoke with Barabara Finamore, senior attorney and Asia director of China Program at NRDC.


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To discuss about the change in direction at the World Bank after new climate action plan, CCTV America’s Mike Walter spoke to John Roome from New York, senior director for Climate Change at The World Bank.