News outlets report on the adoption of the Paris agreement on climate change at COP21.

The Guardian: World leaders hail Paris climate deal as ‘major leap for mankind’
“A historic, legally binding climate deal that aims to hold global temperatures to a maximum rise of 1.5C above pre-industrial levels, staving off the worst effects of catastrophic global warming, has been secured. The culmination of more than 20 years of fraught U.N. climate talks has seen all countries agree to reduce emissions, promise to raise $100bn a year by 2020 to help poor countries adapt their economies, and accept a new goal of zero net emissions by later this century…” (Vidal et al., 12/12).

New York Times: Leaders Move to Convert Paris Climate Pledges Into Action
“…With nearly every nation on Earth having now pledged to gradually reduce emissions of the heat-trapping gases that are warming the planet — a universal commitment that had eluded negotiators and activists since the Earth Summit meeting in Rio de Janeiro in 1992 — much of the burden for maintaining the momentum shifts back to the countries to figure out, and carry out, the concrete steps needed to deliver on their vows…” (Chan/Eddy, 12/13).

New York Times: Climate Accord Is a Healing Step, if Not a Cure
“…The agreement reached here on Saturday will, if faithfully carried out, achieve far larger cuts in emissions than any previous climate accord. It will reduce, without eliminating, the risk that runaway climate change might render parts of the Earth uninhabitable. … The deal, in short, begins to move the countries of the world in a shared direction that is potentially compatible with maintaining a livable planet over the long term…” (Gillis, 12/12).

Thomson Reuters Foundation: Paris climate deal throws ‘frayed lifeline’ to the poor
“A new global deal to tackle climate change, agreed in Paris on Saturday, is an important step towards protecting the poor from more extreme weather and rising seas — but does not offer enough funding or assurance that their rights will be respected, vulnerable countries and agencies working to support them said…” (Rowling/Goering, 12/13).

Wall Street Journal: Scientists Hail Climate Pact as Key Step in Fight Against Warming
“…[C]limatologists argue that the pledged emission cuts by nations aren’t by themselves sufficient to achieve those goals. The warming is already approaching one degree and is predicted to reach 1.2 degrees in 15 years. That makes the hope of restricting overall warming below 1.5 degrees especially challenging…” (Naik, 12/13).