Least Developed Countries chair to Kerry: climate treaty is about the whole planet, not just the US

Chair of the LDCs Group, Mr Giza Gaspar-Martins of Angola, said: "Paris must adopt a legally binding treaty with obligations and provisions for compliance. This treaty is not about one individual country. It is about the whole planet. It is about trust and building confidence among all the countries, business, cities and people."

Concerns about levels of ambition within the climate action plans, or Intended Nationally Determined Contributions (INDCs), have been widely reported in the media. 

Many countries, including the LDCs and the European Union, have expressed an interest in creating five-year planning and delivery cycles for both the INDCs and the accompanying climate finance flows to mitigate against dangerously slow or unambitious action.  

Giza added: "Legally binding obligations within an internationally agreed treaty will give us the strongest direction of travel and assure us that these countries are serious about implementing what they themselves are deciding what and how they take climate action.

"It is absolutely critical that we adopt a legally binding treaty in Paris. We will work hard to make sure that this happens."