An 11th-hour climate deal reached in at COP21 in Paris on 12/12/15, is being hailed as an “historic first” in terms of bringing together an international community into agreement about emissions reduction so has to hold global temperatures to a maximum rise of 1.5C above pre-industrial levels and to raise a $100 billion annually by 2020 to help poor countries adapt their economies. Describing the agreement as “ambitious,” the U.S. president, Barack Obama, said, “Together, we’ve shown what’s possible when the world stands as one. In short, this agreement will mean less of the carbon pollution that threatens our planet and more of the jobs and economic growth driven by low-carbon investments.” Obama warned the pact was not perfect and said there was much hard work ahead. Echoing the sentiment, the U.K.’s energy and climate change secretary, Amber Rudd, during the BBC’s Andrew Marr Show said that it was an “extraordinary achievement,” but she warned it was “only the start.” What is now ahead for each of us is to chunk it down into practical, actionable steps and implement. How do aspects of the agreement which are legally binding impact our daily operations?...the products we sell…the real estate we manage?...etc. How do the targets, which unto themselves are not legally binding, factor into our strategies for compliance? What resources are available to implement cost-effectively? How many stakeholders are there with whom we must align in order to get the job done? Ultimately, the who, what, where, when and how is up to us to decide. For more details on COP21, please refer to: http://www.theguardian.com/environment/2015/dec/13/climate-deal-provides-best-chance-saving-the-planet  Nadine Cino, LEED AP, is the CEO and co-inventor of Tyga-Box Systems, Inc., New York, N.Y. Tags: