World must work together to realise climate goals:US lawmakers

The world must work together to ensure that the goals of the Paris climate agreement are realised, as many as 145 top American lawmakers said today as countries from across the globe, including India, signed the historic deal.
Observing that no country is insulated from the increasingly present and escalating effects of climate change, they said the US faces numerous challenges: prolonged droughts that affect its food security and water supplies, sea-level rise that threatens millions of Americans residing near its coasts, and expanded range of wildfires and prolonged wildfire seasons are just a few examples.
"The world must work together to ensure that the goals of the Paris Agreement are realised. US commitment to leadership in this arena has helped start a process that must last beyond your presidency," the lawmakers said in a letter to US President Barack Obama.

"Mitigation of climate change is a national priority that requires national policies to reduce our greenhouse gas emissions, like producing significantly more energy from clean and carbon-free sources as a means of achieving the pollution reduction pledge the US made ahead of COP21," the lawmakers wrote.
Increased investment and deployment of clean energy is sound strategy for reducing carbon pollution that will spur tremendous domestic job growth and expand the US economy, they noted.
Fully supporting the United States' decision to sign the agreement, the lawmakers hoped that other nations will follow its lead.

For years, the world has looked to the United States for international leadership and addressing climate change is no different, they observed.

"Through your leadership, the United States is fulfilling a responsibility to lead international action addressing climate change resulting in unprecedented cooperation on the development of the historic Paris agreement," it said.
"Your decision to make the United States one of the first parties to sign the agreement is a further demonstration of US leadership and is an important step towards ensuring the Paris Agreement is implemented quickly and that the global community begins in earnest towards achieving the significant goals of the agreement," they said.