Photos: Behind The Scenes at The NYC Paris Agreement Signing
History was made in New York last week when 174 countries and the European Union signed the Paris Agreement on climate change. You may have seen it on the news, but what was it like to be there?
The Daily Planet has found a few behind the scenes snaps that will give you an idea of the atmosphere.
Before the opening ceremony kicked off at 8:30 local time, UN secretary General Ban Ki-moon made time to meet with actor and environmentalist Leonardo DiCaprio, a photo from his official spokesperson confirms.
Ban Ki-moon meets @UN Messenger of Peace @LeoDiCaprio before signing ceremony of #ParisAgreement starts! pic.twitter.com/ZmNV2eHM97
— UN Spokesperson (@UN_Spokesperson) April 22, 2016
François Hollande, the French president, also ran into DiCaprio, one of the photos tweeted by the French UN representation shows.
Events like this are a great opportunity to catch up with foreign colleagues, and the photos show that Hollande also met with US chief diplomat John Kerry and Brazilian president Dilma Rousseff (top left).
The photo at the bottom right shows UN artist Yann Toma at work in the general assembly hall.
Behind the scenes: pictures of an extraordinary day @UN #ParisAgreement #EarthDay pic.twitter.com/yfGzlSbzIq
— La France à l'ONU 🇫🇷🇺🇳 (@franceonu) April 22, 2016
Yann Toma (left) is an arts professor at Pantheon-Sorbonne University in Paris and has been documenting the signing ceremony for the UN with his drawings. He drew a portrait of Moroccan climate change minister Hakima El Haité – who is preparing Marrakesh climate summit – this photo from COP22 shows.
Accord de Paris/Hakima El Haité avec @YannToma , à l'issue de son point de presse #ParisAgreement #cop22 pic.twitter.com/IPswucoluF
— COP22 (@COP22) April 22, 2016
This photo by UN climate chief Christiana Figueres shows some of the almost 200 children who joined politicians and functionaries in the UN’s general assembly hall. They received a standing ovation, Figueres says.
Standing ovation for 197 children who fill General Assembly hall. pic.twitter.com/jyV4tBSqTW
— Christiana Figueres (@CFigueres) April 22, 2016
EU Commission vice-president Maroš Šefčovič took this selfie when the children entered the room. The Paris Agreement is “for their future” he said.
Children from 197 diff countries came to remind us how important #ParisAgreement is for the future. For their future pic.twitter.com/6TqUDeI26m
— Maroš Šefčovič🇪🇺 (@MarosSefcovic) April 22, 2016
Catherine McKenna – Canada’s climate change minister (acting as reporter for the occasion) – tweeted a Snapchat video of herself and prime minister of Canada Justin Trudeau before the signing ceremony started.
#Snapchat: @CanadianPM @JustinTrudeau and I chat about why signing of the #ParisAgreement is so important! pic.twitter.com/cq6uvcAf3b
— Catherine McKenna (@cathmckenna) April 22, 2016
Christiana Figueres ran into Trudeau in the UN general assembly hall and could not resist a selfie.
Anyone NOT in his fan club?! pic.twitter.com/vsQyTUQZCY
— Christiana Figueres (@CFigueres) April 22, 2016
Figueres also tweeted this photo of US secretary of state John Kerry, who had brought his grand daughter along for the occasion.
Secretary Kerry comes up to sign #ParisAgreement with his granddaughter pic.twitter.com/L4lEJtCaa5
— Christiana Figueres (@CFigueres) April 22, 2016
McKenna gives us a view of what the UN general assembly’s iconic marble podium looks like from the seats in the hall itself.
Such an incredible honour to be at the signing of the Paris Agreement. #CANClimateAction pic.twitter.com/9QwE6nCO7g
— Catherine McKenna (@cathmckenna) April 22, 2016
Figueres and her staff gave the signing a thumbs up, one of her tweets shows.
So proud of #unfccc for historic achievement! pic.twitter.com/ZTh73RY5Kl
— Christiana Figueres (@CFigueres) April 22, 2016
After a two-hour signing session that ended around 13:30 in New York there was time for coffee and drinks, this photo tweeted by senior UN communications executive Christina Gallach (centre) shows.
On the left Gallach is flanked by the EU’s Maroš Šefčovič and Hindou Oumarou Ibrahim, a women’s rights campaigner from Chad. On the right, she is joined by Siaosi Sovaleni – a member of parliament from Tonga.
Celebrating #ParisAgreement signed by 175 countries @MarosSefcovic @hindououmar @ssovaleni @EU_Commission @EUatUN pic.twitter.com/gQExyEOaOV
— Cristina Gallach Figueras (@cristinagallach) April 23, 2016
France organised a special event to honour Christiana Figueres later that afternoon, this photo from UN climate communicator Nick Nuttal shows. Figueres was awarded with the French Legion d’Honneur by president Hollande at the event.
#ParisAgreement my boss @CFigueres after receiving the Legion d'Honneur from President Hollande for her key role pic.twitter.com/z57yvmKQOx
— Nick Nuttall (@Nick_Nuttall) April 22, 2016
Finally, McKenna shows us New York’s skyline with the UN buildings at its centre. “It’s been quite a day,” she said, with a hint of understatement.
It's been quite a day. Goodbye NYC. pic.twitter.com/8Ch3RTq3gU
— Catherine McKenna (@cathmckenna) April 23, 2016
Have you been inspired by the Paris Agreement? Al Gore says climate change is the “biggest new business opportunity in the history of the world.” If you want to start a business, Climate-KIC could support you.