Paris Summit; Obama's Emphasis on the Need to Combat Global Warming

Several leaders present at the Paris summit on Monday, November 30, emphasized the effort to achieve an agreement to limit global warming. According to Reuters, Barack Obama, the President of the United States, stated at the Paris summit: "What can give us hope is that we are on the verge of a turning point, a moment that indicates we are finally all determined to save the planet. In fact, all nations feel the urgency of the challenges ahead, and this understanding that the necessary capacity to do something about it exists is increasing." Obama also stated: "As the leader of the largest economy in the world and the second-largest greenhouse gas emitter, I have come here to say that the United States not only acknowledges its role in creating this problem but also considers itself committed and responsible to take action to solve this issue." The U.S. President criticized views that consider action to prevent global warming as being too late, emphasizing that action should not be delayed. Reports indicate that leaders and heads of state from 147 countries are present under heavy security measures in Bourget, located in the suburbs of Paris, for the climate change conference known as COP21. According to Reuters, as the Paris summit began on Monday, December 9, world leaders emphasized the necessity of combating rising global temperatures and reducing dependence on fossil fuels. François Hollande, the President of France, also stated that the world is at a "breaking point" regarding global warming. He pointed out the dangers of famine, massive migrations, and conflicts over water if the current trend of global warming continues, saying: "No international conference has had goals as important as this one." Xi Jinping, the President of China, also stated that the Paris summit is a starting point for addressing climate change. Xi mentioned that the U.S. and China are determined to take action in this regard. Ban Ki-moon, the Secretary-General of the United Nations, also called for quicker and deeper actions from the global community to ensure that the increase in the Earth's temperature does not exceed two degrees Celsius by the end of this century. According to expert calculations, if the current trend of global warming continues, several major coastal cities such as New York, Tokyo, and Bangkok could be submerged between 2050 and the end of this century. The aim of the COP21 conference is to reach a long-term international agreement to reduce greenhouse gases in the Earth's atmosphere.