Prague, Dec 17 (CTK) – Czech President Milos Zeman will add his signature to the Paris climate agreement, though he is sceptical about the document, unlike other politicians, as it is a declaration rather than a binding document, he said on Thursday.
After long negotiations, the participants in the U.N. climate conference reached agreement on keeping global warming markedly below 2 degrees Celsius. They want to keep the warming as close as possible to 1.5 degrees.
In addition, the advanced countries pledged to spend 100 billion dollars a year on helping the developing countries cope with climate change.
The Paris agreement is to replace the Kyoto Protocol as of 2020.
In the Czech Republic, the agreement has to be ratified by parliament and then signed by President Zeman.
“Unlike other politicians, who are cheering, I have the impression that this is a declaratory rather than realistic text,” Zeman said.
He pointed out the dispute which the participants in the conference conducted over whether to use the word has to be or may be in the final document.
The latter variant, which Zeman considers vague, finally prevailed.
“In other words, the document is actually not binding,” Zeman said.
The Czech government has hailed the Paris agreement. Prime Minister Bohuslav Sobotka (Social Democrats, CSSD) called it a historic moment.
“I will sign the document, but with a bit of scepticism, because I consider it a declaration of good intentions,” Zeman said.
