Were the Paris climate talks and the climate agreement a success? It depends who you ask. Below are two comments from leaders who would say yes and two comments from leaders who would say no. Personally, I feel the agreement is a good start but we have much more work to do.

In case you missed it, almost 200 countries signed a historic climate agreement on December 12th to hold global temperatures to a maximum increase of 1.5 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels.

Former Vice President Al Gore said, “This universal and ambitious agreement sends a clear signal to governments, businesses, and investors everywhere: the transformation of our global economy from one fueled by dirty energy to one fueled by sustainable economic growth is now firmly and inevitably underway.”

French President François Hollande said, “This is a major leap for mankind. The agreement will not be perfect for everyone, if everyone reads it with only their own interests in mind. We will not be judged on a clause in a sentence, but on the text as a whole. We will not be judged on a word, but on an act.”

Bill McKibben, founder of environment movement 350.org said, “The power of the fossil fuel industry is reflected in the text of the agreement, which drags out the transition [to clean energy] so far that endless climate damage will be done.”

Kumi Naidoo, Greenpeace international director said, “The deal puts the fossil fuel industry on the wrong side of history. But emission targets are not big enough. The nations that cause this problem have promised too little help to those people who are already losing their lives and livelihoods.”