US will push for ambitious climate change targets in Paris

The US today said it would push for an ambitious climate change agreement at the upcoming Paris summit that mobilises on-going financial and technical support for climate adaptation, especially in the poorest and most vulnerable countries.

"In Paris, the United States will be pushing for an agreement that does three things. The first is that we're looking for an agreement that reflects the ambitious climate targets from all of the countries who are participating," White House Press Secretary Josh Earnest told reporters.

"Second, we're looking for an agreement that puts in place a long-term framework that incentivises countries to ratchet down their emissions over time, in a transparent manner, with high standards of accountability, and with the goal of achieving a low- carbon transformation by the end of the century," he said.

"And third, we're looking for an agreement that mobilises on-going financial and technical support for low-carbon development and climate adaptation, especially for the poorest and most vulnerable countries. We know that some of the poorest countries are the ones who are the most vulnerable to the most tangible climate impacts that are already being felt around the globe," he said.

To help explain why President Barack Obama is committed to acting on climate change, and what is at stake both at the Paris talks and beyond, he has released a video on his brand-new Facebook page, the spokesman said.