By Evan Garcia - More than 150 countries will sign the historic Paris Agreement on Friday during a ceremony at the United Nations headquarters in New York.
"Today is a day to mark and to celebrate the hard work done by so many to win the battle of securing the Paris Agreement," said U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry at the ceremony. "But knowing what we know, this is also a day to recommit ourselves to actually win this war.
"Today as we think of the hard work ahead, I am reminded of Nelson Mandela's very simple words: 'It always seems impossible, until it is done.' And while it isn't done yet, today we are on the march."
The terms of the global pact were agreed upon by 195 countries on Dec. 12, 2015, at the United Nations Climate Change Conference in Paris, but Friday - Earth Day - marks the first day of the yearlong signing period.
The objective of the agreement is to decrease greenhouse gas emissions on a global scale and curb global warming. Specifically, the goal is to keep the Earth's average temperature "well below" a 2 degree Celsius increase of pre-industrial levels, an increase some scientists say may result in cataclysmic natural events. As a benchmark, the agreement aims to limit the increase to 1.5 degrees Celsius.
Each country signing the agreement must submit an individual plan every five years outlining their efforts to cut down on greenhouse gas emissions and utilize clean energy technology.
Karen Weigert said the pact is unique in that it's tailored to each country. In January, Weigert left her post as Chicago's first chief sustainability officer to join the Chicago Council on Global Affairs as its Senior Fellow on Global Cities.
"It's artful in the sense that it's very different than climate negotiations years ago," Weigert said. "This is not a top-down agreement. In this negotiation, every country came forward with what the country thought they could deliver, so it's very much rooted in the reality of each country's opportunity set."
In other words, the agreement recognizes that a developing country won't be able to invest in, say, solar energy at the same rate that an economically stronger country can.
Criticism for the international agreement has concentrated on the exclusion of any legally binding enforcement mechanisms to hold countries accountable.
More than 150 countries will sign the historic Paris Agreement on Friday during a ceremony at the United Nations headquarters in New York. (Watch the ceremony live, above.)
"Today is a day to mark and to celebrate the hard work done by so many to win the battle of securing the Paris Agreement," said U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry at the ceremony. "But knowing what we know, this is also a day to recommit ourselves to actually win this war.
"Today as we think of the hard work ahead, I am reminded of Nelson Mandela's very simple words: 'It always seems impossible, until it is done.' And while it isn't done yet, today we are on the march."
The terms of the global pact were agreed upon by 195 countries on Dec. 12, 2015, at the United Nations Climate Change Conference in Paris, but Friday - Earth Day - marks the first day of the yearlong signing period.
The objective of the agreement is to decrease greenhouse gas emissions on a global scale and curb global warming. Specifically, the goal is to keep the Earth's average temperature "well below" a 2 degree Celsius increase of pre-industrial levels, an increase some scientists say may result in cataclysmic natural events. As a benchmark, the agreement aims to limit the increase to 1.5 degrees Celsius.
Each country signing the agreement must submit an individual plan every five years outlining their efforts to cut down on greenhouse gas emissions and utilize clean energy technology.
Karen Weigert said the pact is unique in that it's tailored to each country. In January, Weigert left her post as Chicago's first chief sustainability officer to join the Chicago Council on Global Affairs as its Senior Fellow on Global Cities.
"It's artful in the sense that it's very different than climate negotiations years ago," Weigert said. "This is not a top-down agreement. In this negotiation, every country came forward with what the country thought they could deliver, so it's very much rooted in the reality of each country's opportunity set."
In other words, the agreement recognizes that a developing country won't be able to invest in, say, solar energy at the same rate that an economically stronger country can.
Criticism for the international agreement has concentrated on the exclusion of any legally binding enforcement mechanisms to hold countries accountable.