The world is set to approve a final agreement on combating climate change after a final draft was released Saturday morning following all-night talks in Paris.
But the deal looks likely to include trouble for the American delegation.
The 31-page pact, released at 7:30 a.m. Eastern Time, seeks to hold global temperature rise “well below” 2 degrees Celsius with an eye toward keeping it below 1.5 degrees Celsius. It includes reviews every five years of each country’s commitments to lowering greenhouse gas.
The one part of the agreement that could be a point of contention with American negotiators is a legally-binding, but non-specific, requirement for developed countries to provide financial resources to developing countries under international law.
This has been a major sticking point for Republicans in Congress. GOP lawmakers have rejected the notion of sending billions abroad to developing countries to help fight the effects of climate change.
President Obama has pledged $3 billion to a so-called Green Climate Fund for developing countries.
A non-legally binding part of the agreement sets a goal of developed countries to provide $100 billion annually to developing countries by 2020.
That sticking point didn’t change the mood of celebration in the air at the conference Saturday.
In an emotional speech before the conference, French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius, host of the talks, said the world was counting on them to approve the agreement.
“The Paris agreement text allows each delegation to go back home with their head held high,” he said.
The 196 countries at the conference are expected to vote on passing the agreement around midday. Discussion on the agreement will start at the conference about 9:45 a.m. Eastern Time.
Many countries seeking a strong agreement will give a sigh of relief at seeing a potential self-destruct button in the bill weakened in the final version.
For the agreement to take effect by Jan. 1, 2020, 55 countries accounting for 55 percent of global emissions must domestically approve the agreement. In the previous draft, negotiations were considering requiring 70 percent of global emissions to approve the deal. That would have meant the agreement could die if some big emitters couldn’t approve it domestically.
The deal would see the countries agree to peak greenhouse gas emissions “as soon as possible,” with rapid reductions coming after emissions peak.
The language in the bill states countries have “common but differentiated” responsibility to fight climate change. That wording will be seen as a win by developing countries who seek to blame developed nations for causing climate change with greenhouse gas emissions. Countries with low emissions will be required to do less under the agreement than high-emission nations.
French President Francois Hollande called on the nations at the conference to “save the world.”
“History is coming. History is here,” he said. “All the conditions are reunited. The decisive agreement for Earth is now.”
The agreement also has wins for American negotiators, who wanted to see strong transparency requirements included. Countries will be required to report on their progress toward their emissions goals every other year.
Sierra Club Executive Director Michael Brune hailed the deal as a “turning point for humanity.”
“For the first time in history, the global community agreed to action that sets the foundation to help prevent the worst consequences of the climate crisis while embracing the opportunity to exponentially grow our clean energy economy,” Brune said.
