UAE backs global climate change deal

This content was originally posted in 7DAYS UAE website at: UAE backs global climate change deal The UAE has welcomed the historic global pact to fight climate change, signed by 195 countries in Paris. The deal, signed by 195 countries after two weeks of talks in the French capital, sets a framework that will contain periodic reviews and assessments to ensure that countries meet their commitments to curb carbon emissions. It is the first such agreement that calls on the world to collectively cut and then eliminate greenhouse gas pollution. As technology advances, targets can be updated over time. The agreement also calls for supporting the most vulnerable nations as they pursue cleaner economic growth. The aim of the deal is to keep global temperatures from rising another 1C between now and 2100, a key demand of poor countries ravaged by rising sea levels and other effects of climate change. And the UAE’s chief climate change negotiator, Majid Al Suwaidi, said the emirates welcomed the agreement, stressing that the UAE had already been taking a positive approach towards cutting emissions as part of the country’s plans to diversify the ecomony. “We were looking for recognition of the challenges that we face as countries that are dependent on fossil fuels,” said Al Suwaidi. “We wanted that to be recognised in the agreement as part of our country’s efforts. “We are pretty happy as the UAE with this proposed deal because we were able to achieve all our goals in terms of the negotiations and what we wanted to see in the deal. “We were keen on a legally binding outcome that meant that every country was taking action to address climate change because we will be impacted by the effects of climate change in a number of ways both in terms of temperature and the effects domestically, but also in other issues like food security and regional stability. barry.king@7days.ae Read the original story at: UAE backs global climate change deal