The obstacles facing this weekend’s global climate change accord were thrown into relief last night when businesses and government officials played down its impact and US Republicans underlined their opposition.
The Paris agreement, which requires all countries to regularly publish plans to deal with global warming, was hailed by international leaders as a turning point after more than 20 years of effort to make this century the last to be powered by fossil fuels.
German chancellor Angela Merkel said the deal was “the first time that the entire world community has obligated itself to act in the battle against global climate change”, while Pope Francis cautioned it would need the “concerted effort and generous dedication”. It was adopted by nearly 200 nations.