The Paris climate change pact was adopted on Saturday after weeks of hard negotiations resolving a conflict of interest of the developed and developing nations. (AFP photo)
To rousing cheers and tears of relief, envoys from 196 member states approved on Saturday an accord to stop global warming, offering hope that humanity can avert catastrophic climate change and usher in an energy revolution.
"I see the room, I see the reaction is positive, I hear no objection. The Paris climate accord is adopted," said French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius, banging down a gavel
to cap a decades-long diplomatic quest to combat climate change.
After the agreement was passed, Environment Minister Prakash Javadekar said that India was satisfied that the pact has unequivocally adopted climate Justice. "We are happy the agreement differentiates between the responsibilities of the developing and developed nations," he said.
Congratulating the world on the agreement, US President Barack Obama said in a tweet, "This is huge: Almost every country in the world just signed on to the Paris Agreement on climate change - thanks to American leadership."
British Prime Minister David Cameron said that the pact was a "huge step forward in helping secure the future."
India had welcomed the final draft proposal which was submitted earlier this evening and had expressed satisfaction saying that it takes care of India's broad concerns. Mr Javadekar said the proposal was "a balanced text and a way forward for the world."
He said that it was a
"big victory for PM Modi's leadership" and "India's persistent efforts".
Divisions between the developed and developing world had been sharp through these negotiations. But in the developments after the member countries had time to review the draft,
a bloc of 134 developing nations was happy with the draft proposal.
Immediately after,
the US climate envoy at Paris had said the country would agree to the draft accord.
According to the proposal, the member countries together are expected to cap the rate of global warming to 2 degrees Celsius compared to the current 2.5 to 3.76 degrees Celsius.
But the measures required to cut down emissions had been a vexed issue, especially for developing nations.
India had taken a nuanced stand, calling for "common but differential responsibilities", under which developed nations that have a "historic responsibility" for global warming, make bigger emission cuts and provide technology for clean energy.
The talks, which were to be held for nearly a fortnight, ran into overtime despite all-night negotiations.
The deal will involve mobilising a minimum of $100 billion (92 billion euros) a year from 2020 to help the developing world cope with global warming, he said.
A new figure for the financing would be set by 2025, Mr Fabius said, adding that the overall agreement would be "legally binding".
UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon had pressed the world's envoys to approve the pact. He said that the Paris agreement marks a decisive turning point to reduce the risks of climate change, adding that every country in the world has pledged to curb emissions for the first time.
"What was once unthinkable has become unstoppable," Ban-Ki-moon said.