Climate deal crucial for planet sustainability, Total CEO says in Istanbul

ISTANBUL - Anadolu Agency

The Paris Climate change agreement is a matter for all oil and gas companies and the U.S. is expected to revise its position toward the Paris Agreement, Patrick Pouyanne, chairman and CEO of Total said on July 11.      
Speaking to journalists on the sidelines of the 22nd World Petroleum Congress in Istanbul, Pouyanne said the Paris Agreement is crucial for the sustainability of the planet and therefore it is a “matter for everybody, including oil and gas companies.”      

Signed by 195 countries in April 2016, the Paris Agreement intends to mitigate the effects of climate change by reducing carbon emissions and limiting global temperature rise to below 2 degrees Celsius. However, President Donald Trump pulled the U.S. out of the historic accord aimed at combating climate change in June, breaking with the overwhelming majority of the world’s countries.      

“Since the end of last year, it has been adopted and has been signed by many countries. It is important that all those countries remain within that framework,” Pouyanne said, expressing his hope that the U.S. would revise its position.      

“I think we have Europe, China, India, that are all really committed. All of these three regions represent more than 50 percent of the emissions,” he added.      

“For me this is a long-term strategy and it is very important,” he said.