THE CARBON WAR

Act de Triumph 335
An hour and a half.
The media centre is full of incredulous faces and shrugs.
At 19:16 Laurent Fabius finally calls the plenary hall to order. He explains
he is going to cover legal issues, typos and mistakes in the draft, formally adopt
the agreement, then hear speeches from delegates.
He must be extremely confident of unanimity, or something very close
to it, to be able to take that approach. It means dissenting governments would
have to register any complaint with the wording of the accord after it has been
adopted. Fabius must know almost everyone, if not everyone, is on board.
A representative of the secretariat apologises for typos and mistakes made
in the document by sleep-deprived officials. Among them, “shall” becomes
“should” in Paragraph 4.4.
I now invite the COP to adopt the document the Paris Agreement,
says Fabius.
I see no objections, he says, barely looking up. The Paris agreement is
adopted.
The cheering is ecstatic.
Clapping delegates stand, tears in many eyes now.
In the media room, rows of journalists join them. Fists pump the air.
So much for dispassion in reporting.
Christiana Figueres hugs Laurence Tubiana. Francois Hollande hugs
Christiana.
Christiana Figueres reminds Laurent Fabius that he has forgotten something
rather important.
In the excitement of the moment, he forgot to use his gavel.
Fabius lifts the gavel, and raps it on the table, smiling broadly.
The whole row of UN bosses and French hosts on the platform joins
hands and lifts arms.
Act de Triumph, I think.