EU shows political will to reduce emissions of greenhouse gas:Slovak official

The EU showed political will to reduce greenhouse gas and implement the goals of the Paris agreement during the UN climate change conference in Marrakech, Slovak Environment Minister Laszlo Solymos said on Friday.

"We're proud that the EU, with its member states, has succeeded in making the agreement enter into force before the meeting in Marrakech. Nobody expected this to happen so quickly, which is undoubtedly proof of the political will to begin reducing greenhouse gas emissions and to turn towards a green economy," said Solymos after the conference.

He emphasised that measures stemming from the Paris agreement should decelerate global warming, improve the environment, and create new jobs via the introduction of new technologies and innovations.

"Marrakech was about showing that our commitments are being implemented and that the EU, including Slovakia, is determined to fulfill them," noted Solymos.

Participants decided to set up the Paris committee on capacity building last week to help some developing countries cope with the negative consequences of climate change. They also approved a road map towards mobilizing 100 billion U.S. dollars annually as of 2020 for climate projects in developing countries.

The Paris agreement was adopted on Dec. 12, 2015. Its main goals include keeping the increase in the average global temperature well below 2.0 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels. This would significantly reduce the risks and impacts of climate change. Endit