World leaders gathered in New York on Wednesday to try to breathe new life into the Paris global climate accord, amid backsliding from several nations over commitments made in the historic deal.
The “One Planet Summit,” launched last year by French President Emmanuel Macron, aims to accelerate the implementation of the 2015 pact.
“We are not here just to speak, but to be accountable,” Macron told delegates at the Plaza luxury hotel in New York.
Having last year warned that “we are losing the battle” against climate change, Macron called on countries to massively increase funding for climate action.
Despite a stream of announcements and summits — including in Bonn in May, and Bangkok and San Francisco this month — the front line in the climate war has hardly moved, and much of the hope and goodwill brought by the Paris deal has been replaced with passivity.
