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| Obama Defends Presence at Climate Change Talks While Syria War Rages | Obama Defends Presence at Climate Change Talks While Syria War Rages |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| PARIS — President Obama said on Tuesday that the United States was obligated to undertake climate talks in the midst of a war in Syria “because this one trend, climate change, affects all trends.” | |
| Speaking at a news conference in Paris, where he was attending the climate talks, Mr. Obama said that much of the United States’ spending on defense and other matters would have to be devoted to dealing with rising sea levels and changing weather patterns if nothing was done to address those challenges. | |
| Mr. Obama laid out requirements that he said must be included in any climate agreement for it to be successful. | |
| Any accord, he said, must first include an ambitious target that calls for a low-carbon global economy; it must be transparent; and it will require periodic reviews of whether emissions targets need to be adjusted. | |
| Concerns about current pledges to reduce growth in carbon emissions not being sufficient to prevent catastrophic change are misplaced, Mr. Obama said, because a new agreement would create the architecture and consensus needed to continue ratcheting up those targets. | |
| Mr. Obama’s comments echoed the findings of a Pentagon report released last year that said climate change posed an immediate threat to national security. The report identified increased risks from terrorism, infectious disease, global poverty and food shortages, and predicted that there would be increased demand for military assistance as extreme weather creates more humanitarian crises around the world. | |
| “Climate change is a massive problem,” he said. “It’s a generational problem. It’s a problem that by definition is just about the hardest thing for any political system to absorb” because the effects are gradual and diffuse. | |
| And he said that, just as people sometimes despair after terrorist attacks, like those that recently left 130 people dead in Paris, some believe that climate change will inevitably lead to destruction. | |
| “And yet, I actually think we’re going to solve this problem,” he said. | |
| Referring to the Islamic State, Mr. Obama also said that, despite repeated meetings with President Vladimir V. Putin of Russia, “I don’t think you should be under any illusions now that Russia will start targeting only ISIL targets.” | Referring to the Islamic State, Mr. Obama also said that, despite repeated meetings with President Vladimir V. Putin of Russia, “I don’t think you should be under any illusions now that Russia will start targeting only ISIL targets.” |
| The Russians have been deeply invested in propping up the government of President Bashar al-Assad of Syria, Mr. Obama said, adding that he believed their commitment to the Syrian leader was not going to change anytime soon. | |
| But he added that weeks of Russian airstrikes in the region had not led to substantial changes in the Syrian conflict, and said that at some point Mr. Putin would recognize that he did not want to be involved in another quagmire, Mr. Obama said. | But he added that weeks of Russian airstrikes in the region had not led to substantial changes in the Syrian conflict, and said that at some point Mr. Putin would recognize that he did not want to be involved in another quagmire, Mr. Obama said. |
| Mr. Obama also dismissed concerns that Republicans would be able to block the United States from fulfilling its financial pledges to help developing nations transition their economies so that they are less dependent on fossil fuels. Republicans in Congress have pledged to block such spending. | Mr. Obama also dismissed concerns that Republicans would be able to block the United States from fulfilling its financial pledges to help developing nations transition their economies so that they are less dependent on fossil fuels. Republicans in Congress have pledged to block such spending. |
| “This is not just one slug of funding that happens in one year,” Mr. Obama said. “This is multiyear commitments that in many cases are already embedded in a whole range of programs around the world. And my expectation is that we absolutely will be able to meet our commitments.” | “This is not just one slug of funding that happens in one year,” Mr. Obama said. “This is multiyear commitments that in many cases are already embedded in a whole range of programs around the world. And my expectation is that we absolutely will be able to meet our commitments.” |
| Mr. Obama, who has a bit more than a year left in office, also seemed untroubled by the idea that a Republican successor might overturn anything he accomplishes in Paris. | |
| “Let me first of all say, I’m anticipating a Democrat succeeding me,” he said, drawing laughter, adding that any president must consider the concerns of countries around the world, because the United States’ credibility and global leadership depend on them. | |
| “The fact of the matter is that there’s a reason why you have the largest gathering of world leaders probably in world history here in Paris,” Mr. Obama said. “Everyone else is taking climate change seriously.” | |
| Earlier in the day, at a meeting with the leaders of five island nations extending from Barbados to Papua New Guinea, Mr. Obama, whose first two bilateral meetings in Paris were with the leaders of China and India, said that even small dots on the map deserve to be heard in international climate talks. | Earlier in the day, at a meeting with the leaders of five island nations extending from Barbados to Papua New Guinea, Mr. Obama, whose first two bilateral meetings in Paris were with the leaders of China and India, said that even small dots on the map deserve to be heard in international climate talks. |
| “I am an island boy,” Mr. Obama said, referring to his upbringing in Hawaii and Indonesia. “Some of their nations could disappear entirely, and as weather patterns change, we might deal with tens of millions of climate refugees in the Asia-Pacific region.” | “I am an island boy,” Mr. Obama said, referring to his upbringing in Hawaii and Indonesia. “Some of their nations could disappear entirely, and as weather patterns change, we might deal with tens of millions of climate refugees in the Asia-Pacific region.” |
| The climate conference cannot simply serve the interests of the most powerful, Mr. Obama said, but should also serve the most vulnerable. And to do that, he said, the agreement must be both transparent and subject to periodic reviews. | The climate conference cannot simply serve the interests of the most powerful, Mr. Obama said, but should also serve the most vulnerable. And to do that, he said, the agreement must be both transparent and subject to periodic reviews. |
| There is scientific consensus that limits on growth in carbon emissions, promised by nations at the Paris conference, will not be enough to prevent dire effects of climate change, which may include the disappearance of some island nations. | There is scientific consensus that limits on growth in carbon emissions, promised by nations at the Paris conference, will not be enough to prevent dire effects of climate change, which may include the disappearance of some island nations. |
| Obama administration officials have expressed hope that, as energy technology and climate awareness improves, nations may to agree to more ambitious limits in the future. | Obama administration officials have expressed hope that, as energy technology and climate awareness improves, nations may to agree to more ambitious limits in the future. |
| Mr. Obama and members of his administration also met with President Recep Tayyip Erdogan of Turkey at the residence of the United States ambassador here, a small palace that once served as the home of Edmond James de Rothschild. | Mr. Obama and members of his administration also met with President Recep Tayyip Erdogan of Turkey at the residence of the United States ambassador here, a small palace that once served as the home of Edmond James de Rothschild. |
| Even though the two had met two weeks ago at the Group of 20 summit meeting in Antalya, Turkey, Mr. Obama said another meeting was warranted in light of recent events in Syria and the shooting down of a Russian fighter plane by Turkey. | Even though the two had met two weeks ago at the Group of 20 summit meeting in Antalya, Turkey, Mr. Obama said another meeting was warranted in light of recent events in Syria and the shooting down of a Russian fighter plane by Turkey. |
| “I want to be very clear: Turkey is a NATO ally,” Mr. Obama said. “Along with our allies, the United States supports Turkey’s right to defend itself and its airspace and its territory. And we’re very much committed to Turkey’s security and its sovereignty.” | “I want to be very clear: Turkey is a NATO ally,” Mr. Obama said. “Along with our allies, the United States supports Turkey’s right to defend itself and its airspace and its territory. And we’re very much committed to Turkey’s security and its sovereignty.” |
| Mr. Obama said that he and Mr. Erdogan discussed how to ease tensions between Russia and Turkey, to address the threat posed by the Islamic State and to bring about a political resolution in Syria. Mr. Obama also praised Turkey, which is estimated to have taken in more than one million Syrians, for its “extraordinary generosity” in its support of refugees. | Mr. Obama said that he and Mr. Erdogan discussed how to ease tensions between Russia and Turkey, to address the threat posed by the Islamic State and to bring about a political resolution in Syria. Mr. Obama also praised Turkey, which is estimated to have taken in more than one million Syrians, for its “extraordinary generosity” in its support of refugees. |
| In his own remarks, Mr. Erdogan said the two leaders had discussed the Islamic State, also known as ISIS; establishing a transitional government in Syria; protecting the lives of Syrians of Turkish descent; and the recent tensions between Russia and Turkey. | In his own remarks, Mr. Erdogan said the two leaders had discussed the Islamic State, also known as ISIS; establishing a transitional government in Syria; protecting the lives of Syrians of Turkish descent; and the recent tensions between Russia and Turkey. |
| “We want peace to prevail at all costs,” Mr. Erdogan said. | “We want peace to prevail at all costs,” Mr. Erdogan said. |
| Even before the shooting down of the Russian jet, which Turkey said had been in its airspace, Turkish officials were angry with Russia for bombing villages of ethnic Turkmen in Syria, as well as for Moscow’s continued support for Mr. Assad. | Even before the shooting down of the Russian jet, which Turkey said had been in its airspace, Turkish officials were angry with Russia for bombing villages of ethnic Turkmen in Syria, as well as for Moscow’s continued support for Mr. Assad. |
| “We know that where the Turkmens are present, there’s no Daesh presence or ISIS presence,” Mr. Erdogan said, using the Arabic acronym for the Islamic State“In the last few weeks, more than 500 civilians were killed, so we would like to see the resolution of that problem as soon as possible as well.” | “We know that where the Turkmens are present, there’s no Daesh presence or ISIS presence,” Mr. Erdogan said, using the Arabic acronym for the Islamic State“In the last few weeks, more than 500 civilians were killed, so we would like to see the resolution of that problem as soon as possible as well.” |