Obama Urges World Leaders to Act in Fighting Climate Change 'While We Still Can'

摘要

President Barack Obama urged world leaders at a United Nations summit to reach a global agreement to combat climate change "while we still can." Speaking Sept. 23 before more than 120 officials, the president cited more frequent droughts and flooding in warning, "The climate is changing faster than our efforts to address it." Obama took credit for putting the U.S. on course to reduce its carbon emissions by 2020 to a level 17 percent below that of 2005. U.S. financial support is helping 120 nations skip the "dirty phase of development" and move directly to low-carbon energy sources, he said. The president tied calls for action on global wanning to a pledge to help other nations cope with climate disruption that earlier inaction has now rendered inescapable.