Costa Rican Christiana Figueres was awarded the Medal of Paris on Wednesday for helping broker the historic, 195-nation deal to avert climate change that was sealed in the French capital last week.

A last-minute switch of "shall" for "should" in a section of the Paris climate accord about reducing emissions nearly derailed the historic deal.

Envoys from 195 nations approved Saturday an accord to stop global warming, offering hope that humanity can avert catastrophic climate change and usher in an energy revolution.

French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius, on the brink of tears after presiding over nearly a fortnight of talks in Paris, delivered the proposal to ministers who must now decide whether to approve it, possibly within hours.

The French host of U.N. talks aimed at saving mankind from climate catastrophe said Thursday a historic accord was "extremely close," but called for unprecedented compromises during a second night of non-stop negotiations.

Why a target of 1.5 C temperature rise remains in the latest draft text of the Paris climate change agreement and may also be in the final one.

U.S. Secretary of State John F. Kerry's promise of additional money came as negotiators struggled to resolve differences over financial assistance to developing economies, one of the thorniest issues to emerge in the talks so far.

While world governments held climate talks in Paris, Mexico President Enrique Peña Nieto unveiled $3 billion plans to cut sulfur content in gasoline produced at six refineries of state-run firm Pemex, reducing emissions by 90 percent.

While there are still a few programs designed to encourage people to switch to more efficient vehicles, the current government’s plan to reduce vehicle emissions hinges on the creation of a rapid transit system to serve the Greater Metropolitan Area.

As important as a global accord is, the most influential actors on climate change have been cities and businesses, and leaders in both groups made it clear that they will not wait for an agreement that, if it comes together, won't even take full effect until 2020.