By Catherine Hilliard
News Editor
World leaders of 150 nations and 40,000 delegates from 195 countries gathered from across the globe to attend the COP21 conference on Monday Nov. 30 in Paris.
The largest conference organized by the French government, COP21 stands for the 21st session of the Conference of Parties.
Planning to discuss the current impact of climate change and greenhouse gas emissions, leaders are also discussing ways to cut these emissions in the future.
The goal of the COP21 is to have participation from all nations to maintain the global warming below two degrees Celsius.
President Xi Jinping of China, Narendra Modi, Prime Minister of India, and Barack Obama, President of the United States, the biggest producers of greenhouse gases, also met to discuss these issues.
President Obama recognized the United States’ role in increasing climate change, and his plans to resolving the issue.
“Here in Paris, let’s secure an agreement that builds in ambition, where progress paves the way for regularly updated targets,” he said.
“That’s what we seek in these next two weeks – not simply an agreement to roll back the pollution we put into the skies, but an agreement that helps us lift people from poverty without condemning the next generation to a planet that is beyond its capacity to repair,” Obama added.
Speaking to fellow leaders, the president also stated that the agreement should be flexible and assertive, and developed countries should be willing to assist smaller islands and undeveloped countries who have not made a big impact on climate change, but feel the effects first.
“A political moment like this may not come again,” U.N. Secretary General Ban Ki-moon stated. “We have never faced such a test. But neither have we encountered such great opportunity.”
An increase in climate change can cause more flash floods, droughts, and extreme heat waves, as well as changes in food supply and the melting of glaciers and the rising of sea level.
“I hope that these leaders can come together and put differences aside to fix this serious and growing problem. If we continue to ignore global warming, the effects could seriously hurt our planet and everyone who lives in it.” Sophomore Madeline Blaney said.
Intense security surrounds the premise of the conference do to anti- global warming demonstrations and the terror attacks killing 140 civilians that occurred earlier last month.
Peaceful protesters gathered at the conference on Nov. 29 where demonstrators had placed rows of empty shoes and name tags to represent the crowds that were restricted from attending.
More than 200 people were arrested after confrontations between officers and protesters erupted at the Place de la Republique.
Law enforcement, pelted with shoes and bottles, also said that they were hit with candles, taken from the memorials of those who were killed in the previous terror attacks.
Police Chief Michel Cadot said in response to protesters taking candles from the memorials “an extreme lack of respect to those events.” Police responded to the rowdy crowds with tear gas.
French President François Hollande called the disputes “scandalous” and that authorities predicted events like this would happen for the Paris conference and that is why “these sorts of assemblies were banned and some were ordered to stay home.”
