UN climate talks end, delegates appeal to Trump to join fight

PanARMENIAN.Net - The first UN climate conference after the landmark Paris Agreement closed Friday, November 19 with delegates appealing to Donald Trump to join the battle against global warming and inviting him to see its impacts in Pacific islands, The Associated Press reports.

Suddenly faced with the possibility that the U.S. could withdraw from the emissions pact adopted in Paris last year, countries rallied in support of the deal and said they would forge ahead no matter what.

Moroccan Foreign Minister Salaheddine Mezouar, the host of the two-week talks in Marrakech, said the conference's "message to the new American president is simply to say, 'We count on your pragmatism and your spirit of commitment.'"

Trump said during his campaign that he would "cancel" the Paris Agreement and withdraw American tax dollars from UN global warming programs.

More than 190 countries, including the United States, pledged in the deal to reduce greenhouse gas emissions blamed for rising temperatures and sea levels, worsening droughts and heat waves.

In Marrakech, delegates from China to Brazil expressed hope that Trump didn't mean what he said during his campaign. Some appealed to him directly to change his mind about the issue.

"I renew my offer to President-elect Trump to come to Fiji and see the effects of climate change," said the island nation's prime minister, Frank Bainimarama, drawing applause from the conference.

Small island nations are among the strongest advocates for sharp cuts in greenhouse gas emissions because they fear their survival depends on it. Many are already experiencing the effects of climate change, with rising seas eroding their coastlines and intruding into their freshwater supply.

As the conference drew to a close, German Environment Minister Barbara Hendricks said it "has demonstrated that the spirit of Paris is alive and stronger than ever."