UN leaders and several negotiators welcomed the deal, reports RTCC. UN secretary general Ban Ki-moon labelled it “a critical step forward in building a sustainable future for all” and the EU’s development commissioner called it “an agreement for our world, our dignity, our future”. But others delegates at the conference had mixed views about the text, with some expressing doubts about whether it represents a significant step forward in tackling global problems.
“The challenge is the means of implementation: there are some things missing but we have the opportunity to build on them later”, Jean-Paul Adam, finance minister of the Seychelles, told RTCC. “We have to look at needs and work backwards. Addressing climate change allows us to put resources into other aspects of our development to better structure our economy – at the moment we’re putting money into fighting erosion."