COP21: 195 nations in landmark deal to cut carbon emissions

A landmark deal to tackle climate change was agreed at the COP21 summit in Paris over the weekend is a “monumental triumph”, United Nations secretary general Ban Ki-moon has said.

The agreement, which was reached on Saturday following two weeks of talks, commits all 195 signatories to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change to cutting emission for the first time.

All countries have agreed to work to reduce their emissions in order to hold global temperature rise this century to well below 2 degrees celsius, with an aim for a maximum increase of 1.5 degrees.

The agreement also sets out a roadmap to increase funding for climate change adaptation and mitigation and clean energy generation to $100bn by 2020.

Paris climate change deal ‘signals end of fossil fuel era’, say experts

The international climate deal agreed in Paris is a turning point in history which signals the end of the fossil fuel era, it has been claimed.

The final draft of the agreement has received a largely positive response from environmental and aid campaigners, experts and analysts, although there are concerns it does not go far enough to tackle climate change.

Emma Ruby-Sachs, acting executive director of campaign group Avaaz, said: “If agreed, this deal will represent a turning point in history, paving the way for the shift to 100% clean energy that the world wants and the planet needs.”

Ayatollah Khamenei ‘mourns’ Paris victims, blames West for backing Israel’s ‘state terrorism’

Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei asks the youth from the West to have “honourable interaction” with the Muslim world.

In an open letter, the Iranian leader asks the youth in Western nations to learn from tragic incidents like Paris attacks. He says the “blind terrorism” in France motivated him to write to the young people in Western countries. He shares it  was “regretful” that such issues provide the ground for dialogues.