SECRETARY KERRY: Mr. Secretary-General, and my friend, Laurent Fabius, president of
COP, let me begin by simply saying: Laurent, you have done a superb job, as everybody has
said, exercising critical multilateral stewardship here, and everybody is very grateful
for your leadership.
This is a tremendous victory for all of our citizens – not for any one country or any
one bloc, but for everybody here who has worked so hard to bring us across the finish line.
It’s a victory for all of the planet and for future generations. We have set a course
here. The world has come together around an agreement that will empower us to chart a
new path for our planet – a smart and responsible path, a sustainable path. And extraordinarily,
we are 196 delegations, 186 plans. That is a remarkable global commitment.
We have reached an agreement that, while everybody here understands there are things here and
there that everybody doesn’t like, it will help the world prepare for the impacts of
climate change that are already here and also for those we know are now headed our way inevitably.
And we have reached an agreement that, fully implemented, will help us transition to a
global clean energy economy and ultimately prevent the worst, most devastating consequences
of climate change from ever happening.
We are sending literally a critical message to the global marketplace. Many of us here
know that it won’t be governments that actually make the decision or find the product, the
new technology, the saving grace of this challenge. It will be the genius of the American spirit.
It will be business unleashed because of 186 nations saying to global business in one loud
voice: We need to move in this direction. And that will move investment. That will create
new, greater research and development, and the next great product will come that will
change our lives.
I want to express on behalf of President Obama and the United States our deepest gratitude
to France. France, in the most difficult circumstances, after loss of life and terror, stood proud,
stood up, stood strong, set an example to the world. And now here today the world says
thank you by restoring the global community’s faith that we can accomplish things multilaterally.
France has played a pivotal role in galvanizing the international community and every one
of our delegations here today have joined in that effort.
I know, and Laurent knows from our experience negotiating last year – or earlier this
year; it seems like last year – how difficult it can be to get five or six countries, seven
countries united around a consequential agreement, let alone 195. We all know that while not
everyone in this room will think this is perfect, that is exactly the way it should be. It wouldn’t
be a good agreement if we didn’t feel that way.
On behalf of the United States, I can say categorically that while, yes, we think this
is in our interest, as I think every nation here does, much more importantly this is in
the interest of every nation on Earth. We’ve taken a critical step forward, and there is
no question but that what we do next, how we implement our targets, how we build this
agreement, how we build it out for each of our nations and how we strengthen it in the
time ahead – that is what will determine whether we’re actually able to address one
of the most complex challenges humankind has ever faced.
I look forward to working with everyone here. And I’d just say on a personal level, this
week that I have spent here in this negotiation has been really rewarding on a personal level
for the relationships and the incredible energy and commitment of every delegation – no
matter what their interests, there’s been a remarkable spirit of collegiality, a determination
not to repeat mistakes of the past, and a compelling urgency to the sense that we had
to be successful.
We, I think, as a result can leave behind on Earth a legacy for our children and our
grandchildren, generations to come. And I know that we will all of us be better off
for the agreement that we have finalized here today.
Thank you, Mr. President.
(Applause.)