Obama was optimistic at Climate Change Summit in Porto
Former US President spoke in Porto about the Paris Agreement's longlasting potential and the role civil society can have in ensuring the issue is a priority for politicians.
Earlier this afternoon in Porto Obama addressed the Climate Change Leadership Summit’s audience with his well-known first-class optimism, stating he is sure the United States will be back to the Paris Agreement.
During his speech, the former US President recalled his administration’s successes in terms of proving how focusing on finding solutions that solve environmental issues can indeed create jobs and promote the economy.
Climate change and water scarcity pose threats to security, and world leaders have been busy designing ways of tackling these issues. Nevertheless, Obama emphasised the role of civil society has in shaping policymakers opinion and contributing for a change.
He pointed out how the only way for change to actually happen is through a capacitation of civil society, whom according to the former US President should acknowledge climate change is a pressuring issue and assume their role of encouraging governments towards reaching the goals set out by the Paris Agreement.
On some final notes, he showed how he is unsatisfied by his successor’s move to opt out of the Paris Agreement and warned that no matter what is done now it is highly likely that temperatures will keep the tendency for rising for a sustained period of time. The fight against climate change was a priority during his two terms in office and Obama remains hopeful that the US will be back to the agreement in the future.