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US SECRETARY OF State John Kerry brought his granddaughter to work today as he joined senior world officials to formally sign the Paris climate deal at the United Nations.
Washington’s top diplomat came to the podium cradling two-year-old Isabelle Dobbs-Higginson and triggered warm applause as he endorsed the accord for the United States.
Earlier, Kerry had addressed the General Assembly to hail the agreement, which he said was the last chance to slow the devastating pace of human-generated climate change.
“We learned that 2015 was the hottest year in recorded history –- by far,” Kerry said, recalling last December’s Paris summit where the agreement was finalised.
“And we learned that after knowing that the past decade was the hottest on record, and the one before that was the hottest on record,” he continued.
“So the urgency of this challenge is only becoming more pronounced,” he said, in a warning to those building the world his granddaughter will grow up in.
Ireland
Ireland’s Environment Minister Alan Kelly was in New York to sign the deal.
Ireland, through the European Union, indicated its commitment through the Agreement to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by at least 40% by 2030, compared with 1990 levels.
Discussions on the respective responsibilities of individual member states to meet this commitment are under way.
However, Green Party leader Eamon Ryan said the country’s signing of the deal was proof the political system is “fixated on short-term gain”.
“If Fine Gael, Fianna Fáil and the Independents want to show some vision and responsibility then they have to stop arguing about the little things and start stitching some real climate ambition into their negotiations. That means tripling the budget for retrofitting our houses. That means a fivefold increase in spending on sustainable transport systems.
“That means going fossil free as fast as we possibly can in our entire energy system.
“Are they up to the challenge or is the signing of the Paris agreement just a distraction from the little deals being done down in Trinity College?”
With AFP reporting
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Backstreet boys and heavy metal tapes in the same collection. Unbelievable.
What an unbelievable, incredible story.
Literally.
It’s totally exaggerated.
inspirational example of what hard work and perseverance can do. ..even under difficult circumstances
It’s rubbish…..he’s an educated Indian……..from a middle class family…..
A lot of successful people tend to underestimate the role luck has to play. Without the right timing and luck, most ideas for businesses usually fail.
Slumdog Billionaire
That article is complete rubbish….his father was an engineer, his mother went to college……age grew up in a slum in Indian…..you obviously don’t know India, educated Indians or anything about the cast system or slums in Indian…….what Bol ix
‘Runaway living in a slum’. It’s not misleading.
who would take a picture of their computer right before they run away from home?
I heard about this Indian guy…
Not clear has to how he made his billions.
It’s all there.
No it isn’t. Selling advertising to destitute Indian women !??
That was his original IPO. He had no money left from that, the article states. Then came up with an idea for mobile augmented reality advertising, called it Blipper and based on the latest round of funding the co. is now worth over 1bn. Doesn’t make him a billionaire though unless he can sell the whole thing.
he hasn’t “made his billions”. it doesn’t even say that. I’m guessing you read some of the story and commented despite the fact it says clearly that he has a startup that is now valued at $1.5bn. an excellent achievement whatever way you look at it.
Just downloaded the app. Its Rubbish!
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