The eco-colored warning on Paris' most recognisable monuments last night was the joint initiative of the Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo and French Environment Minister Segolene Royal.
The accord entered into force yesterday faster than anyone had anticipated after a year with remarkable success in international efforts to slash man-made emissions of carbon dioxide and other global warming gases.
But agreeing on those goals was the easy part. Achieving them will require a transformational shift in the world's energy system, which despite strong gains by clean energy sources such as wind and solar power still depends on fossil fuels.