COP21: differences emerge on opening day
(VOVworld) – Differences emerged quickly on the opening day of the UN climate summit COP21 on Monday in Paris. Poor countries asked rich ones to take more responsibility for global warming, as the wealthier countries have used too much fossil fuel for their economic development since the Industrial Revolution. Meanwhile, the US and other developed countries argued that newly emerging economies, including China, should shoulder more responsibility as they are using a huge amount of fossil fuel for their growing economies. US President Barack Obama declared during the meeting that the US will keep by all of its commitments and called on other countries to follow suit.
Barack Obama was among the heads of state to address the COP21 on its opening day. [COP PARIS] |
India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi said that poor countries still need fossil fuel to escape poverty and urged richer nations to speed up their reduction of greenhouse gas emissions. Once again, divisions between wealthy and poorer nations, a main cause of the lack of deals at previous UN climate summits, have warmed up COP21.