French president opens Paris Climate Conference

The crucial global summit on climate change started Monday in Paris with a moment of silence to honor the victims of the city's terror attacks, France 24 reported Monday.

Shortly afterward, French President Francois Hollande acknowledged the magnitude of both events.

"France is receiving 150 heads of state," the President said. "Never have the stakes been so high because this is about the future of the planet, the future of life. And yet two weeks ago, here in Paris itself, a group of fanatics was sowing the seeds of death in the streets."

Hollande said while the fight against terrorism and the fight against climate change are two separate battles, "these are two great challenges we must rise to."

Hollande further said that climate change will fuel conflict, so peace is at stake in the summit.

"We need to determine a credible path allowing us to limit global warming to below 2C, or 1.5C if possible. For us to be sure of being on the right path we need to provide for regular assessment of our progress against the latest scientific conclusions and set a revision mechanism, with meetings every five years," he said.

"We respond to the climate challenge with solidarity. No state can abstain from its commitments even if a differentiation mechanism will be able to take into account development levels and situations.
No territory should be left alone to fight climate change and notably the most vulnerable nations. My thoughts go to those islands that could very soon, purely and simply disappear - and here I want to be their voice because the very diversity of our planet is at stake," he added.

"The agreement must be universal, differentiated and binding.
Developed countries must take historic responsibility, they are ones that for years emitted the largest amounts of greenhouse gases," he added.

"Emerging countries must accelerate their energy transition, developing countries must be supported in adapting to impacts of climate change hence need to release and secure financing for technology transfer," he said.

"All our societies in their vast plurality and diversity must come together, all local leaders, investors, environmental and social leaders, all religions that contribute to forming the global public mindset, all actors must understand that things have changed. Carbon price introduction must be gradually introduced so that the cost of damage inflicted on the planet is taken into account," he added.

The world leaders are meeting in Paris with one mission: Agree on legally binding reductions in greenhouse gas emissions.

Sources: MENA