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PARIS (AP) — France's foreign minister says the nearly 200 countries that signed up to a global climate deal should expect heavy pressure to fulfill their promises to reduce emissions and fight global warming.
Laurent Fabius on Tuesday recounted the "extremely difficult" climate talks that ended Saturday, including a critical last-minute argument over the words "shall" and "should." Fabius was widely praised for his diplomatic savvy as conference host.
The deal doesn't include sanctions — "it isn't the criminal code," Fabius joked in an interview with Europe-1 radio. However, "if a country doesn't respect its commitments, imagine the international pressure there will be."
He acknowledged that the agreement leaves many questions unresolved, but added, "Nothing would have been settled without Paris."
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