In a speech to the United Nations Climate Summit in New York on September 23, President Obama said the United States is "stepping up to the plate on climate change," and the global community must work together to “tackle this global threat before it is too late.” More than 120 heads of state participated in the Summit, convened by U.N. Secretary General Ban Ki-moon, to rally global action on climate change impacts in advance of climate negotiations in Paris in 2015.
Although he did not make any specific pledges about what the U.S. would commit to in terms of reducing carbon emissions, the President said, “[T]here should be no question” that the U.S. “is stepping up to the plate.” The President listed his climate-related achievements, including his Climate Action Plan and efforts to reduce carbon pollution through energy efficiency.
“We will do our part, and we will help developing nations do theirs. But we can only succeed in combating climate change if we are joined in this effort by every nation – developed and developing alike. Nobody gets a pass,” the President said.