U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry says the world has a rare opportunity for a climate change deal, and he's telling leaders to "grab it."
In an opinion piece published in Thursday's Financial Times in London, Kerry wrote that a strong agreement at the Paris summit in December would "transform the global economy and help avert the worst effects of climate change."
He said success would reflect a new level of partnership with "government leaders from every region working constructively alongside the private sector and civil society."
But Kerry pointed to previous global warming deals that have failed to effectively address the problem and said the "pitfalls of the past" must be avoided.
The difference in Paris, Kerry wrote, is that every nation can take steps to cut greenhouse gas emissions that will fit its individual circumstances rather than resort to the one-size-fits-all approach of past deals.
Delegates and leaders from more than 150 countries will meet in Paris to seek a deal on cutting emissions that scientists say are causing Earth to become unnaturally warmer.
