2020 is the most crucial year yet for humanity's plan to dodge the bullet of catastrophic global warming, experts said Saturday, warning that the narrow path to safety was riddled with pitfalls, from the US election to Brexit.&nbsp;

When nations struck the 2015 Paris agreement, which aims to limit temperature rises under 2 degrees Celsius (3.6 Fahrenheit), they agreed on five-year periods in which <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/anger-erupts-at-un-climate-summit-as-major-economies-resist-bold-action-268332">climate action</a> could be implemented, assessed and boosted.&nbsp;

2020 is the year the landmark deal goes into effect, yet almost three decades of diplomatic wrangling has fallen far short of what science says is needed to avert disastrous climate change.

A crucial UN summit at which leaders will finalise their action plans to reduce greenhouse gas emissions is set to open in Glasgow on November 9&nbsp;just six days after a US general election that could see President <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/texass-greg-abbott-becomes-first-to-refuse-refugees-order-given-by-president-donald-trump-273510">Donald Trump</a> win a second term.

Trump shocked the world in 2017 when he said the United States,&nbsp;history's largest emitter&nbsp;was withdrawing from the Paris agreement.&nbsp;It is due to leave the deal on November 4.

"Another four years of Trump in the White House would mean that the world's key country in terms of providing global leadership will be sitting the problem out," Michael Oppenheimer, professor of Geosciences and International Affairs at Princeton University, told reporters.&nbsp;

"So that's four years of having a millstone around the neck of the world's efforts to deal with climate change."

After a year of climate-related disasters, from cyclones and flooding in Africa and Southeast Asia to devastating <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/next-few-hours-could-be-very-challenging-australia-urges-people-to-flee-as-bushfires-rage-273400">wildfires</a> in Australia and California, nations in December failed to make progress during the annual UN Climate Change Conference COP 25.&nbsp;

More than 100 countries have pledged to redouble their efforts to reduce domestic emissions, but the biggest polluters, China, India, the US and the European Union have yet to unveil new plans.

The Paris deal was dragged partly over the line thanks to more than a year of shuttle diplomacy by host France.&nbsp;

Climate negotiations are multilateral and emissions cuts voluntary, so much depends on the skill and tactics of the country in charge of annual COP negotiating sessions.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/in-talks-with-uks-boris-johnson-pm-modi-resolves-to-work-closely-together-269028">COP26</a> president Claire O'Neill told reporters last month that climate would be the British government's "number one global priority" this year leading up to the Glasgow summit.

But there are fears that Brexit trade negotiations with Brussels, which will last until around the same time as COP26, will drain much-needed diplomatic bandwidth.&nbsp;

"There is a Brexit scenario in which the UK is distracted at the highest level and the relationship with the EU has soured," said Nick Mabey, CEO of the green thinktank E3G.

"It's a risk. Brexit is the government's number one defensive diplomatic priority and I would say COP needs to be its number one offensive diplomatic priority.&nbsp;

"COP&nbsp;requires huge, proactive campaigning, full-functioning diplomatic machine," he told reporters.&nbsp;

Mabey said Britain already had more than 100 diplomats focusing solely on climate ahead of Glasgow.

But perhaps the biggest moment for the climate in 2020 will come before both the US election or the COP.&nbsp;

In September, the EU-China summit in Leipzig is likely to see the world's largest single market push the world's biggest carbon polluter for greater emissions-cutting commitments.

Li Shuo, the senior global policy advisor for <a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/children-ready-to-lead-fight-against-pollution-as-climate-crisis-claims-over-9-lakh-lives-since-2016-262150">Greenpeace East Asia</a>, said this year presented a massive opportunity for China to show global leadership over climate.

"The US, China, EU climate tricycle has had a wheel pulled off by Trump," said Li Shuo, senior global policy advisor for Greenpeace East Asia.&nbsp;

"Going into 2020 it is critical for the two remaining wheels to roll in sync.

"The decision was taken by Chinese leaders over the next year,&nbsp;matters to how the world views China under increasingly turbulent geopolitics," Shuo said.

China and fellow emitter India was accused of stymying greater ambition at <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/now-russia-unveils-new-climate-plan-272712">COP25</a> in Madrid by insisting they had already done their fair share in cutting carbon pollution.&nbsp;

Even if nations can agree in Glasgow to boost action during the next five years, their voluntary pledges are likely to be worlds apart from the drastic emissions cuts that Earth needs.

"Something called success is probably off the table for the moment," said Mabey.

2020 is the most crucial year yet for humanity's plan to dodge the bullet of catastrophic global warming, experts said Saturday, warning that the narrow path to safety was riddled with pitfalls, from the US election to Brexit.

2020 is the most crucial year yet for humanity's plan to dodge the bullet of catastrophic global warming, experts said Saturday, warning that the narrow path to safety was riddled with pitfalls, from the US election to Brexit. When nations struck the 2015 Paris agreement, which aims to limit temperature rises under 2 degrees Celsius (3.6 Fahrenheit), they agreed on five-year periods in which climate action could be implemented, assessed and boosted. 2020 is the year the landmark deal goes into effect, yet almost three decades of diplomatic wrangling has fallen far short of what science says is needed to avert disastrous climate change. A crucial UN summit at which leaders will finalise their action plans to reduce greenhouse gas emissions is set to open in Glasgow on November 9 just six days after a US general election that could see President Donald Trump win a second term. Trump shocked the world in 2017 when he said the United States, history's largest emitter was withdrawing from the Paris agreement. It is due to leave the deal on November 4. "Another four years of Trump in the White House would mean that the world's key country in terms of providing global leadership will be sitting the problem out," Michael Oppenheimer, professor of Geosciences and International Affairs at Princeton University, told reporters. "So that's four years of having a millstone around the neck of the world's efforts to deal with climate change." After a year of climate-related disasters, from cyclones and flooding in Africa and Southeast Asia to devastating wildfires in Australia and California, nations in December failed to make progress during the annual UN Climate Change Conference COP 25. More than 100 countries have pledged to redouble their efforts to reduce domestic emissions, but the biggest polluters, China, India, the US and the European Union have yet to unveil new plans. The Paris deal was dragged partly over the line thanks to more than a year of shuttle diplomacy by host France. Climate negotiations are multilateral and emissions cuts voluntary, so much depends on the skill and tactics of the country in charge of annual COP negotiating sessions. COP26 president Claire O'Neill told reporters last month that climate would be the British government's "number one global priority" this year leading up to the Glasgow summit. But there are fears that Brexit trade negotiations with Brussels, which will last until around the same time as COP26, will drain much-needed diplomatic bandwidth. "There is a Brexit scenario in which the UK is distracted at the highest level and the relationship with the EU has soured," said Nick Mabey, CEO of the green thinktank E3G. "It's a risk. Brexit is the government's number one defensive diplomatic priority and I would say COP needs to be its number one offensive diplomatic priority. "COP requires huge, proactive campaigning, full-functioning diplomatic machine," he told reporters. Mabey said Britain already had more than 100 diplomats focusing solely on climate ahead of Glasgow. But perhaps the biggest moment for the climate in 2020 will come before both the US election or the COP. In September, the EU-China summit in Leipzig is likely to see the world's largest single market push the world's biggest carbon polluter for greater emissions-cutting commitments. Li Shuo, the senior global policy advisor for Greenpeace East Asia, said this year presented a massive opportunity for China to show global leadership over climate. "The US, China, EU climate tricycle has had a wheel pulled off by Trump," said Li Shuo, senior global policy advisor for Greenpeace East Asia. "Going into 2020 it is critical for the two remaining wheels to roll in sync. "The decision was taken by Chinese leaders over the next year, matters to how the world views China under increasingly turbulent geopolitics," Shuo said. China and fellow emitter India was accused of stymying greater ambition at COP25 in Madrid by insisting they had already done their fair share in cutting carbon pollution. Even if nations can agree in Glasgow to boost action during the next five years, their voluntary pledges are likely to be worlds apart from the drastic emissions cuts that Earth needs. "Something called success is probably off the table for the moment," said Mabey.

Climate at mercy of politics in 2020, experts warn

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/.../china-aims-to-boost-revenue-for-renewable- power-firms-264353">Beijing</a> on Wednesday accused developed countries including the US of doing too little to curb global warming, ahead of a UN summit discussing controversial issues including climate compensation.

China is the world's second-largest economy and the biggest emitter of carbon dioxide but has repeatedly argued that developed nations should lead on tackling international climate obligations.

"Developed countries' insufficient political will to provide support" is the "biggest problem" currently facing international climate efforts, said Zhao Yingmin, vice-minister of ecology and environment, at a press conference Wednesday.

An environment ministry report released at the briefing also criticised the US,&nbsp;currently in the process of pulling out of the <a href="https://www.wionews.com/.../greenhouse-emissions-hit-new-record-could- bring-destructive-effects-un-264634">2015 Paris Agreement</a> on global warming.

"These unilateral behaviours seriously harm the global community's willingness and trust in tackling climate change together," the report says.

The US generated more oil and gas than any other nation last year and is the world's number two coal producer after China.

Zhao called for developed countries to honour financial commitments including providing $100 billion to poorer states harmed by climate change.

The $100 billion,&nbsp;which China has said it is entitled to part of,&nbsp;was a nonbinding accompaniment to the Paris Agreement and was the annual amount that rich countries pledged to muster by 2020.

The European Commission has called for the EU to adopt a carbon border tax that would impose higher tariffs on imported goods made through greenhouse gas-intensive processes.

But China's report said carbon border taxes currently being considered by "some developed countries" would "seriously harm" the global community's willingness to tackle the issue.

Zhao was speaking a week ahead of a Madrid summit to discuss the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change -- based on the principle all nations must give proportionately to mitigate climate change.

The UN said Tuesday the world will miss its chance to avert climate disaster without an immediate and all-but-impossible fall in fossil fuel emissions.

Climate groups said Monday the US and Europe bear more than half the cost of repairing the existing environmental damage, based on their historic greenhouse gas emissions.

Beijing said Wednesday it had reduced carbon emissions intensity by 45 percent between 2005 and 2018.

But China's absolute carbon emissions have continued to rise, according to Tuesday's UN report.

A separate study earlier this month warned that Beijing's planned coal powerplants were equivalent to all of the EU's current generating capacity.

Beijing on Wednesday accused developed countries including the US of doing too little to curb global warming, ahead of a UN summit discussing controversial issues including climate compensation.

Beijing on Wednesday accused developed countries including the US of doing too little to curb global warming, ahead of a UN summit discussing controversial issues including climate compensation. China is the world's second-largest economy and the biggest emitter of carbon dioxide but has repeatedly argued that developed nations should lead on tackling international climate obligations. "Developed countries' insufficient political will to provide support" is the "biggest problem" currently facing international climate efforts, said Zhao Yingmin, vice-minister of ecology and environment, at a press conference Wednesday. An environment ministry report released at the briefing also criticised the US, currently in the process of pulling out of the 2015 Paris Agreement on global warming. "These unilateral behaviours seriously harm the global community's willingness and trust in tackling climate change together," the report says. The US generated more oil and gas than any other nation last year and is the world's number two coal producer after China. Zhao called for developed countries to honour financial commitments including providing $100 billion to poorer states harmed by climate change. The $100 billion, which China has said it is entitled to part of, was a nonbinding accompaniment to the Paris Agreement and was the annual amount that rich countries pledged to muster by 2020. The European Commission has called for the EU to adopt a carbon border tax that would impose higher tariffs on imported goods made through greenhouse gas-intensive processes. But China's report said carbon border taxes currently being considered by "some developed countries" would "seriously harm" the global community's willingness to tackle the issue. Zhao was speaking a week ahead of a Madrid summit to discuss the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change -- based on the principle all nations must give proportionately to mitigate climate change. The UN said Tuesday the world will miss its chance to avert climate disaster without an immediate and all-but-impossible fall in fossil fuel emissions. Climate groups said Monday the US and Europe bear more than half the cost of repairing the existing environmental damage, based on their historic greenhouse gas emissions. Beijing said Wednesday it had reduced carbon emissions intensity by 45 percent between 2005 and 2018. But China's absolute carbon emissions have continued to rise, according to Tuesday's UN report. A separate study earlier this month warned that Beijing's planned coal powerplants were equivalent to all of the EU's current generating capacity.

China says developed countries lack 'political will' on climate goals

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/.../dhl-to-debut-zero-emission-electric-delivery- vans-in-us-cities-264556">Greenhouse gas emissions</a> surged to a record level last year and world temperatures could rise by more than twice the globally agreed warming limit if nothing is done, a U.N. report showed on Tuesday.

The "Emissions Gap Report" is one of several studies released ahead of U.N. climate talks in Madrid next week aimed at spurring world leaders to limit climate change.

It measures the amount of emissions cuts needed to limit global temperature rises to 1.5 degrees Celsius (2.7 Fahrenheit) above pre-industrial levels, as agreed in the key <a href="https://www.wionews.com/.../worlds-energy-watchdog-is-undermining- climate-change-battle-critics-say-261730">2015 Paris Agreement</a>. The U.N. Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change last year warned of huge global changes if that target is not met, such as the loss of nearly all coral reefs and most Arctic sea ice.

Under current national pledges to cut emissions, "temperatures can be expected to rise by 3.2C this century, bringing wide-ranging and destructive climate impacts," said a summary of the report by the U.N. Environment Programme (UNEP).

"Being a grandfather - we don't want to leave that for our grandkids," the report's lead author John Christensen told a news conference.

The report said the safest temperature threshold set in Paris - of 1.5C - was still achievable, but would require emissions cuts of 7.6 per cent&nbsp;a year between 2020-2030, the report said. Limiting the rise to 2C it would mean annual cuts of 2.7 per cent.

"We are talking about transformational change now - incremental change simply will not make it. We simply need to transform societies in the next 10 years," Christensen said.

"The longer you wait, the more difficult it becomes."

The report showed that emissions, including those from land-use change such as deforestation, had not yet peaked and rose to a record 55.3 gigatonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent in 2018.

Christensen said some of those that had met their targets comfortably, such as Turkey and Russia, should tighten them significantly.

The report named the United States as one of several large emitters alongside Brazil and Japan falling short of its own targets, or Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs). This month, the Trump administration filed paperwork to quit the Paris Agreement in the first step of a formal withdrawal process.

Countries face a 2020 deadline to set more ambitious emissions cut pledges.

"Had we done it 10 years ago, it would have been easier," said Inger Andersen, UNEP Executive Director. "But the time is now and the opportunity is now."

Greenhouse gas emissions surged to a record level last year and world temperatures could rise by more than twice the globally agreed warming limit if nothing is done, a U.

Greenhouse gas emissions surged to a record level last year and world temperatures could rise by more than twice the globally agreed warming limit if nothing is done, a U.N. report showed on Tuesday. The "Emissions Gap Report" is one of several studies released ahead of U.N. climate talks in Madrid next week aimed at spurring world leaders to limit climate change. It measures the amount of emissions cuts needed to limit global temperature rises to 1.5 degrees Celsius (2.7 Fahrenheit) above pre-industrial levels, as agreed in the key 2015 Paris Agreement. The U.N. Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change last year warned of huge global changes if that target is not met, such as the loss of nearly all coral reefs and most Arctic sea ice. Under current national pledges to cut emissions, "temperatures can be expected to rise by 3.2C this century, bringing wide-ranging and destructive climate impacts," said a summary of the report by the U.N. Environment Programme (UNEP). "Being a grandfather - we don't want to leave that for our grandkids," the report's lead author John Christensen told a news conference. The report said the safest temperature threshold set in Paris - of 1.5C - was still achievable, but would require emissions cuts of 7.6 per cent a year between 2020-2030, the report said. Limiting the rise to 2C it would mean annual cuts of 2.7 per cent. "We are talking about transformational change now - incremental change simply will not make it. We simply need to transform societies in the next 10 years," Christensen said. "The longer you wait, the more difficult it becomes." The report showed that emissions, including those from land-use change such as deforestation, had not yet peaked and rose to a record 55.3 gigatonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent in 2018. Christensen said some of those that had met their targets comfortably, such as Turkey and Russia, should tighten them significantly. The report named the United States as one of several large emitters alongside Brazil and Japan falling short of its own targets, or Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs). This month, the Trump administration filed paperwork to quit the Paris Agreement in the first step of a formal withdrawal process. Countries face a 2020 deadline to set more ambitious emissions cut pledges. "Had we done it 10 years ago, it would have been easier," said Inger Andersen, UNEP Executive Director. "But the time is now and the opportunity is now."

Greenhouse emissions hit new record, could bring 'destructive' effects: U.N.

US President Donald Trump speaking at the &nbsp;Economic Club in New York on Tuesday said that countries like "China, India and Russia are doing absolutely nothing to clean up their smokestacks and clean up all of their plants and all of the garbage that they're dropping in the sea floats into Los Angeles".

Trump who pulled the US out of the<a href="https://www.wionews.com/opinions/can-the-paris-agreement-on-climate-change-succeed-without-the-us-4-questions-answered-261823"> Paris climate accord </a>last year amid worldwide criticism, said, "We have a relatively small piece of land - the United States. And you compare that to some of the other countries like China, like India, like Russia, like many other countries that absolutely are doing absolutely nothing to clean up their smokestacks and clean up all of their plants and all of the garbage that they're dropping in sea and that floats into Los Angeles, along with other problems that Los Angeles has, by the way."

"But when you see this happening, it's - nobody wants to talk about it. They want to talk about our country. We have to do this. We have can't have planes any longer. We can't have cows any longer. We can't have anything."

"I said, What about China?"

Last week, the US had filed paperwork for the formal exit<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/paris-climate-agreement-us-should-take-more-responsibility-says-china-260120"> from the Paris Agreement</a>, a one-year process to walk out of&nbsp;the global pact which aims to fight climate change even as US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo added said that the United States had trimmed its emissions in recent years.

Speaking in New York, the US President asserted that he was "very much into climate", adding,&nbsp;"but I want the cleanest air on the planet and I want to have - I have to have clean air-water."

Trump declared the Paris Agreement a "disaster", stating that it resulted in "trillions and trillions of dollars" of destruction to America.

"And it is so unfair. It doesn't kick in for China until 2030. Russia goes back into the 1990s, where the base year was the dirtiest year ever in the world. India, we are supposed to pay them money because they are a developing nation. I said, "We&nbsp;'re a developing nation, too."

Even as the US pulled out the Paris agreement, French President Macron and Chinese President last week signed a pact to declare the "irreversibility of the Paris Agreement."

The Paris Agreement was signed during ex-President Obama's administration promising a 26-28 per cent in US greenhouse gas emissions by 2025 from 2005 levels, a move which was overturned by Trump last year.

Trump campaigned in 2016 presidential polls on a promise to pull the United States out of the agreement, saying it would hurt the US economy while leaving other big polluters like China to increase emissions. The US was bound by UN rules to wait until November 4, 2019, to file exit papers which was filed last week. 
&nbsp;

US President Donald Trump speaking at the Economic Club in New York on Tuesday said that countries like "China, India and Russia are doing absolutely nothing to clean up their smokestacks and clean up all of their plants and all of the garbage that they're dropping in the sea floats into Los Angeles".

US President Donald Trump speaking at the Economic Club in New York on Tuesday said that countries like "China, India and Russia are doing absolutely nothing to clean up their smokestacks and clean up all of their plants and all of the garbage that they're dropping in the sea floats into Los Angeles". Trump who pulled the US out of the Paris climate accord last year amid worldwide criticism, said, "We have a relatively small piece of land - the United States. And you compare that to some of the other countries like China, like India, like Russia, like many other countries that absolutely are doing absolutely nothing to clean up their smokestacks and clean up all of their plants and all of the garbage that they're dropping in sea and that floats into Los Angeles, along with other problems that Los Angeles has, by the way." "But when you see this happening, it's - nobody wants to talk about it. They want to talk about our country. We have to do this. We have can't have planes any longer. We can't have cows any longer. We can't have anything." "I said, What about China?" Last week, the US had filed paperwork for the formal exit from the Paris Agreement, a one-year process to walk out of the global pact which aims to fight climate change even as US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo added said that the United States had trimmed its emissions in recent years. Speaking in New York, the US President asserted that he was "very much into climate", adding, "but I want the cleanest air on the planet and I want to have - I have to have clean air-water." Trump declared the Paris Agreement a "disaster", stating that it resulted in "trillions and trillions of dollars" of destruction to America. "And it is so unfair. It doesn't kick in for China until 2030. Russia goes back into the 1990s, where the base year was the dirtiest year ever in the world. India, we are supposed to pay them money because they are a developing nation. I said, "We 're a developing nation, too." Even as the US pulled out the Paris agreement, French President Macron and Chinese President last week signed a pact to declare the "irreversibility of the Paris Agreement." The Paris Agreement was signed during ex-President Obama's administration promising a 26-28 per cent in US greenhouse gas emissions by 2025 from 2005 levels, a move which was overturned by Trump last year. Trump campaigned in 2016 presidential polls on a promise to pull the United States out of the agreement, saying it would hurt the US economy while leaving other big polluters like China to increase emissions. The US was bound by UN rules to wait until November 4, 2019, to file exit papers which was filed last week.

Garbage dropped by China, India and Russia into the sea floats into Los Angeles: Trump

As the Trump administration on Monday began the process of formally pulling out of the<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/11000-scientists-caution-against-climate-emergency-warn-of-unavoidable-human-suffering-260246"> Paris climate agreement</a>, French President Emmanuel Macron and Chinese President Xi Jinping reaffirmed their strong support for the global accord.&nbsp;

"Both sides attach high importance to measures responding to climate change and protection of ecological diversity, and we agree to cooperate over next year's 15th Biodiversity Convention on Biodiversity held in Kunming to push forth the Paris Climate Accords in response to climate change," Chinese President Xi Jinping said during his meeting with President Macron in Beijing.

Xi added that the international community should "jointly protect <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/paris-climate-agreement-us-should-take-more-responsibility-says-china-260120">our homeland planet Earth</a>", adding "we are against the attempt to place national interests above the common interests of humanity".

Macron too a swipe at the US, decalaring: "I deplore the choices made by some others, but I want to see them as marginal choices, because when China, the European Union, Russia, which ratified the Paris agreements a few weeks ago, engage with firmness, the isolated choice of one or another (country) is not enough to change the course of the world, it will only lead to them being edged out."

Both leaders also issued a joint statement reaffirming their committment towards the climate agreement. In a joint statement, Xi and Macron reaffirmed "their firm support for the Paris accord which they consider as an irreversible&nbsp;process and a compass for strong action on climate".&nbsp;

Xi and Macron expressed determination to improve international cooperation to "ensure a complete and efficient implementation of the Paris accord" while pledgeing to restore almost a third of degraded land as well as eliminating fossil fuel subsidies in the medium term.

The US had presented its withdrawal letter to the United Nations on Monday which was negotiated by the Obama administration.

As the Trump administration on Monday began the process of formally pulling out of the Paris climate agreement, French President Emmanuel Macron and Chinese President Xi Jinping reaffirmed their strong support for the global accord.

As the Trump administration on Monday began the process of formally pulling out of the Paris climate agreement, French President Emmanuel Macron and Chinese President Xi Jinping reaffirmed their strong support for the global accord. "Both sides attach high importance to measures responding to climate change and protection of ecological diversity, and we agree to cooperate over next year's 15th Biodiversity Convention on Biodiversity held in Kunming to push forth the Paris Climate Accords in response to climate change," Chinese President Xi Jinping said during his meeting with President Macron in Beijing. Xi added that the international community should "jointly protect our homeland planet Earth", adding "we are against the attempt to place national interests above the common interests of humanity". Macron too a swipe at the US, decalaring: "I deplore the choices made by some others, but I want to see them as marginal choices, because when China, the European Union, Russia, which ratified the Paris agreements a few weeks ago, engage with firmness, the isolated choice of one or another (country) is not enough to change the course of the world, it will only lead to them being edged out." Both leaders also issued a joint statement reaffirming their committment towards the climate agreement. In a joint statement, Xi and Macron reaffirmed "their firm support for the Paris accord which they consider as an irreversible process and a compass for strong action on climate". Xi and Macron expressed determination to improve international cooperation to "ensure a complete and efficient implementation of the Paris accord" while pledgeing to restore almost a third of degraded land as well as eliminating fossil fuel subsidies in the medium term. The US had presented its withdrawal letter to the United Nations on Monday which was negotiated by the Obama administration.

Macron, Xi declare Paris climate accord 'irreversible process'

Almost 90 big companies in sectors from food to cement to telecommunications are pledging to slash their greenhouse gas emissions in a new campaign to steer multi-nationals towards a low-carbon future, organizers said on Sunday.

We Mean Business, a coalition of advocacy groups, said dozens of companies had joined the initiative in the two months leading up to a United Nations summit taking place on Monday, which aims to spur faster action on climate change.

“Now we need many more companies to join the movement, sending a clear signal that markets are shifting,” UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said in a statement.

The coalition was launched in June with a call to action by the United Nations, business and civil society leaders. The first 28 companies to join announced the following month. We Mean Business said 87 companies are now involved, with a total market capitalization of more than $2.3 trillion.

Some companies in the coalition have agreed to slash their carbon emissions to net-zero by 2050, including Swiss food company Nestle, French building materials company Saint-Gobain, and French cosmetics maker L'Oreal.

Others have stopped short of committing to go carbon neutral but say they will align their operations with a goal of limiting the increase in average global temperatures to 1.5 degrees Celsius enshrined in the 2015 Paris Agreement.

This group includes Finnish telecoms company Nokia, French food group Danone and British drugmaker AstraZeneca Plc, We Mean Business said.

As accelerating climate impacts from melting ice caps to sea-level rise and extreme weather outpace climate models, scientists say the world needs to halve its greenhouse gas emissions over the next decade to avoid catastrophic warming.

With fossil fuel companies still developing new oil and gas fields and many developing countries expanding coal-fired power, the coalition's pledges are minuscule relative to rising global emissions.

Some experts have questioned whether publicly traded companies committed to maximizing shareholder returns will be able to make the sweeping investments required to fight climate change. Yet many investors have been pressuring companies to act on climate risks, and chief executives also face pressure from an upsurge in youth-led activism, which mobilized millions around the world to protest on Friday.

We Mean Business believes pledges by a core of mostly European, and some North American and Asian companies, to commit to independently-verified emissions targets will prompt others to follow suit.

“These bold companies are leading the way towards a positive tipping point where 1.5°C-aligned corporate strategies are the new normal for businesses and their supply chains around the world," said Lise Kingo, chief executive of the UN Global Compact, which promotes responsible business practices.

UN chief Guterres sees the private sector as crucial to securing more ambitious pledges at Monday's Climate Action Summit in New York, which aims to boost the Paris deal before it enters a crucial implementation phase next year.

Companies such as Danish power group Orsted, Spanish energy company Iberdrola and German insurer Allianz are due to speak alongside governments at the one-day gathering, according to a draft agenda.

Almost 90 big companies in sectors from food to cement to telecommunications are pledging to slash their greenhouse gas emissions in a new campaign to steer multi-nationals towards a low-carbon future, organizers said on Sunday.

Almost 90 big companies in sectors from food to cement to telecommunications are pledging to slash their greenhouse gas emissions in a new campaign to steer multi-nationals towards a low-carbon future, organizers said on Sunday. We Mean Business, a coalition of advocacy groups, said dozens of companies had joined the initiative in the two months leading up to a United Nations summit taking place on Monday, which aims to spur faster action on climate change. “Now we need many more companies to join the movement, sending a clear signal that markets are shifting,” UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said in a statement. The coalition was launched in June with a call to action by the United Nations, business and civil society leaders. The first 28 companies to join announced the following month. We Mean Business said 87 companies are now involved, with a total market capitalization of more than $2.3 trillion. Some companies in the coalition have agreed to slash their carbon emissions to net-zero by 2050, including Swiss food company Nestle, French building materials company Saint-Gobain, and French cosmetics maker L'Oreal. Others have stopped short of committing to go carbon neutral but say they will align their operations with a goal of limiting the increase in average global temperatures to 1.5 degrees Celsius enshrined in the 2015 Paris Agreement. This group includes Finnish telecoms company Nokia, French food group Danone and British drugmaker AstraZeneca Plc, We Mean Business said. As accelerating climate impacts from melting ice caps to sea-level rise and extreme weather outpace climate models, scientists say the world needs to halve its greenhouse gas emissions over the next decade to avoid catastrophic warming. With fossil fuel companies still developing new oil and gas fields and many developing countries expanding coal-fired power, the coalition's pledges are minuscule relative to rising global emissions. Some experts have questioned whether publicly traded companies committed to maximizing shareholder returns will be able to make the sweeping investments required to fight climate change. Yet many investors have been pressuring companies to act on climate risks, and chief executives also face pressure from an upsurge in youth-led activism, which mobilized millions around the world to protest on Friday. We Mean Business believes pledges by a core of mostly European, and some North American and Asian companies, to commit to independently-verified emissions targets will prompt others to follow suit. “These bold companies are leading the way towards a positive tipping point where 1.5°C-aligned corporate strategies are the new normal for businesses and their supply chains around the world," said Lise Kingo, chief executive of the UN Global Compact, which promotes responsible business practices. UN chief Guterres sees the private sector as crucial to securing more ambitious pledges at Monday's Climate Action Summit in New York, which aims to boost the Paris deal before it enters a crucial implementation phase next year. Companies such as Danish power group Orsted, Spanish energy company Iberdrola and German insurer Allianz are due to speak alongside governments at the one-day gathering, according to a draft agenda.

90 big companies commit to slash greenhouse gas emissions ahead of UN climate summit

Nations facing imminent environmental disaster called Monday on rich polluters to help them back from the brink, as the UN warned the world's plan to avoid climate catastrophe was<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/world-way-off-course-un-warns-at-crunch-climate-summit-181200"> "way off course"</a>.

From glaciers melting in Nepal to the rising seas threatening to engulf small island states, the world is already experiencing the damage lying in wait if global warming is allowed to run unchecked.

Nearly 200 nations gathered in Poland Monday for the start of the<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/emphasis-on-urgency-as-climate-talks-begin-in-polish-coal-city-katowice-181146"> COP24 summit,</a> where they must agree on a universal rulebook to make good on the promises they made in the 2015 Paris climate deal.

"Nepal is a country comprised of mountains and plains," president Bidhya Devi Bhandari told delegates. "We have been bearing the brunt of the disproportionate impact of climate change despite being a low carbon-emitting country."&nbsp;

The<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/the-paris-climate-treaty-a-snapshot-180973"> Paris agreement</a> vowed to limit global temperature rises to under two degrees Celsius (3.6 Fahrenheit) and to the safer cap of 1.5 C if at all possible.

For this, richer nations must provide funding USD 100 billion per year by 2020 &nbsp;to steer developing countries towards greener energy while drastically drawing down their own emissions.

But developing nations have complained that richer states — responsible for the vast majority of historic fossil fuel use — aren't doing enough to help them adapt to our warming planet.

"We feel as if we have been penalised for the mistakes we never made," said Bhandari. It is incumbent on the international community to ensure that justice is done."&nbsp;

Trust in the Paris process has been badly undermined by US President Donald Trump's decision to renege on his country's commitment, and there are fears the political will to act is waning as negotiations drag on.

With just one degree Celsius of warming so far, Earth is already being subjected to raging forest fires, flooding and superstorms made worse by rising seas.

A string of<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/global-warming-outpaces-efforts-to-slow-it-un-179838"> UN reports</a> have sounded the alarm: levels of carbon dioxide in our atmosphere are the highest in 3 million years and the last four years were the four hottest in history.

In October a team of more than 90 independent scientists said mankind must reduce its greenhouse gas emissions by half within the next 12 years to avoid heat rises that could tear at the fabric of society.

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres warned nations that their plan to chart a route away from runaway global warming was "way off course". 
"Even as we witness devastating climate impacts causing havoc across the world, we are still not doing enough, nor moving fast enough, to prevent irreversible and catastrophic climate disruption," Guterres said.

President Muhammadu Buhari of Nigeria used his address to call for more stringent guidelines for "financial flows from developed countries to developing economies for climate change action".

As developing nations begged for vastly quicker action, host Poland was pushing its own agenda: a so-called "just transition" to greener energy which critics fear would allow it to continue burning coal for decades.

Eighty per cent of Polish energy comes from coal, and the COP24 itself is being held on the site of a decommissioned plant in the mining city of Katowice. 
Poland is expected to unveil a declaration calling on states to "recognise the challenges faced by sectors, cities and regions in transition from fossil fuels... To ensure a decent future for workers impacted by the transition."&nbsp;

Proceedings were injected with a shot of glamour as former California governor Arnold Schwarzenegger delivered a surprise address and wildlife documentary maker Sir David Attenborough made a plea to act on behalf of humanity.

"If we don't take action the collapse of our civilisations and the extinction of much of the natural world is on the horizon," he said.

Frank Bainimarama, prime minister of Fiji and president of last year's COP, said developed nations must act before countries such has his were consumed by the waves. 
"Or, God forbid, (we) ignore the irrefutable evidence and become the generation that betrayed humanity," he said.

Nations facing imminent environmental disaster called Monday on rich polluters to help them back from the brink, as the UN warned the world's plan to avoid climate catastrophe was "way off course".

Nations facing imminent environmental disaster called Monday on rich polluters to help them back from the brink, as the UN warned the world's plan to avoid climate catastrophe was "way off course". From glaciers melting in Nepal to the rising seas threatening to engulf small island states, the world is already experiencing the damage lying in wait if global warming is allowed to run unchecked. Nearly 200 nations gathered in Poland Monday for the start of the COP24 summit, where they must agree on a universal rulebook to make good on the promises they made in the 2015 Paris climate deal. "Nepal is a country comprised of mountains and plains," president Bidhya Devi Bhandari told delegates. "We have been bearing the brunt of the disproportionate impact of climate change despite being a low carbon-emitting country." The Paris agreement vowed to limit global temperature rises to under two degrees Celsius (3.6 Fahrenheit) and to the safer cap of 1.5 C if at all possible. For this, richer nations must provide funding USD 100 billion per year by 2020 to steer developing countries towards greener energy while drastically drawing down their own emissions. But developing nations have complained that richer states — responsible for the vast majority of historic fossil fuel use — aren't doing enough to help them adapt to our warming planet. "We feel as if we have been penalised for the mistakes we never made," said Bhandari. It is incumbent on the international community to ensure that justice is done." Trust in the Paris process has been badly undermined by US President Donald Trump's decision to renege on his country's commitment, and there are fears the political will to act is waning as negotiations drag on. With just one degree Celsius of warming so far, Earth is already being subjected to raging forest fires, flooding and superstorms made worse by rising seas. A string of UN reports have sounded the alarm: levels of carbon dioxide in our atmosphere are the highest in 3 million years and the last four years were the four hottest in history. In October a team of more than 90 independent scientists said mankind must reduce its greenhouse gas emissions by half within the next 12 years to avoid heat rises that could tear at the fabric of society. UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres warned nations that their plan to chart a route away from runaway global warming was "way off course". "Even as we witness devastating climate impacts causing havoc across the world, we are still not doing enough, nor moving fast enough, to prevent irreversible and catastrophic climate disruption," Guterres said. President Muhammadu Buhari of Nigeria used his address to call for more stringent guidelines for "financial flows from developed countries to developing economies for climate change action". As developing nations begged for vastly quicker action, host Poland was pushing its own agenda: a so-called "just transition" to greener energy which critics fear would allow it to continue burning coal for decades. Eighty per cent of Polish energy comes from coal, and the COP24 itself is being held on the site of a decommissioned plant in the mining city of Katowice. Poland is expected to unveil a declaration calling on states to "recognise the challenges faced by sectors, cities and regions in transition from fossil fuels... To ensure a decent future for workers impacted by the transition." Proceedings were injected with a shot of glamour as former California governor Arnold Schwarzenegger delivered a surprise address and wildlife documentary maker Sir David Attenborough made a plea to act on behalf of humanity. "If we don't take action the collapse of our civilisations and the extinction of much of the natural world is on the horizon," he said. Frank Bainimarama, prime minister of Fiji and president of last year's COP, said developed nations must act before countries such has his were consumed by the waves. "Or, God forbid, (we) ignore the irrefutable evidence and become the generation that betrayed humanity," he said.

At-risk nations plead for 'justice' at UN climate summit

With the direst environmental warnings yet still ringing in their ears, nations gathered in Poland Sunday for a UN summit aimed at heading off the "urgent threat" of runaway climate change.&nbsp;

The UN talks come at a crucial juncture in mankind's response to planetary warming. The smaller, poorer nations that will bare its devastating brunt are pushing for richer states to make good on the promises they made in the 2015 Paris agreement.

In Paris three years ago, countries committed to limit global temperature rises to well below two degrees Celsius (3.6 degrees Fahrenheit), and to the safer cap of 1.5C if at all possible.&nbsp;

But with only a single degree Celsius of warming so far, the world has already seen a crescendo of deadly wildfires, heatwaves and hurricanes made more destructive by rising seas.

"Climate change impacts have never been worse," Patricia Espinosa told journalists after Sunday's first negotiating session.&nbsp;

"This reality is telling us that we need to do much more."

In a rare intervention, presidents of previous UN climate summits issued a joint statement as the talks got underway, calling on states to take "decisive action... to tackle these urgent threats".&nbsp;

"The impacts of climate change are increasingly hard to ignore," said the statement, a copy of which was obtained by AFP. "We require deep transformations of our economies and societies."

At the COP24 climate talks, nations must agree to a rulebook palatable to all 183 states who have ratified the Paris deal.&nbsp;

This is far from a given: the dust is still settling from US President Donald Trump's decision to ditch the Paris accord.

G20 leaders on Saturday agreed a final communique after their summit in Buenos Aires, declaring that the Paris Agreement was "irreversible".&nbsp;

But it said the US "reiterates its decision to withdraw" from the landmark accord.

The UN negotiations got off to a chaotic start in the Polish mining city of Katowice Sunday, with the opening session delayed nearly three hours by a series out last-ditch submissions from countries.

Even solid progress on the Paris goals may not be enough to prevent runaway global warming, as a series of major climate reports have outlined.&nbsp;

'Failure to act will be catastrophic'

Just this week, the UN's environment programme said the voluntary national contributions agreed in Paris would have to triple if the world was to cap global warming below 2C.

For 1.5C, they must increase fivefold.&nbsp;

While the data are clear, a global political consensus over how to tackle climate change remains elusive.&nbsp;

"Katowice may show us if there will be any domino effect" following the US withdrawal, said Laurence Tubiana, CEO of the European Climate Foundation and a main architect of the Paris deal.

Brazil's strongman president-elect Jair Bolsonaro, for one, has promised to follow the American lead during his campaign.

Even the most strident climate warnings -- spiralling temperatures, global sea-level rises, mass crop failures -- are something that many developed nations will only have to tackle in future.&nbsp;

But many other countries are already dealing with the droughts, higher seas and catastrophic storms climate change is exacerbating.&nbsp;

"A failure to act now risks pushing us beyond a point of no return with catastrophic consequences for life as we know it," said Amjad Abdulla, chief negotiator for the Alliance of Small Island States, of the UN talks.

A key issue up for debate is how the fight against climate change is funded, with developed and developing nations still world's apart in their demands.

Poorer nations argue that rich countries, which are responsible for the vast majority of historic carbon emissions, must help others to fund climate action.&nbsp;

"Developed nations led by the US will want to ignore their historic responsibilities and will say the world has changed," said Meena Ramam, from the Third World Network advocacy group.&nbsp;

"The question really is: how do you ensure that ambitious actions are done in an equitable way?"

With the direst environmental warnings yet still ringing in their ears, nations gathered in Poland Sunday for a UN summit aimed at heading off the "urgent threat" of runaway climate change.

With the direst environmental warnings yet still ringing in their ears, nations gathered in Poland Sunday for a UN summit aimed at heading off the "urgent threat" of runaway climate change. The UN talks come at a crucial juncture in mankind's response to planetary warming. The smaller, poorer nations that will bare its devastating brunt are pushing for richer states to make good on the promises they made in the 2015 Paris agreement. In Paris three years ago, countries committed to limit global temperature rises to well below two degrees Celsius (3.6 degrees Fahrenheit), and to the safer cap of 1.5C if at all possible. But with only a single degree Celsius of warming so far, the world has already seen a crescendo of deadly wildfires, heatwaves and hurricanes made more destructive by rising seas. "Climate change impacts have never been worse," Patricia Espinosa told journalists after Sunday's first negotiating session. "This reality is telling us that we need to do much more." In a rare intervention, presidents of previous UN climate summits issued a joint statement as the talks got underway, calling on states to take "decisive action... to tackle these urgent threats". "The impacts of climate change are increasingly hard to ignore," said the statement, a copy of which was obtained by AFP. "We require deep transformations of our economies and societies." At the COP24 climate talks, nations must agree to a rulebook palatable to all 183 states who have ratified the Paris deal. This is far from a given: the dust is still settling from US President Donald Trump's decision to ditch the Paris accord. G20 leaders on Saturday agreed a final communique after their summit in Buenos Aires, declaring that the Paris Agreement was "irreversible". But it said the US "reiterates its decision to withdraw" from the landmark accord. The UN negotiations got off to a chaotic start in the Polish mining city of Katowice Sunday, with the opening session delayed nearly three hours by a series out last-ditch submissions from countries. Even solid progress on the Paris goals may not be enough to prevent runaway global warming, as a series of major climate reports have outlined. 'Failure to act will be catastrophic' Just this week, the UN's environment programme said the voluntary national contributions agreed in Paris would have to triple if the world was to cap global warming below 2C. For 1.5C, they must increase fivefold. While the data are clear, a global political consensus over how to tackle climate change remains elusive. "Katowice may show us if there will be any domino effect" following the US withdrawal, said Laurence Tubiana, CEO of the European Climate Foundation and a main architect of the Paris deal. Brazil's strongman president-elect Jair Bolsonaro, for one, has promised to follow the American lead during his campaign. Even the most strident climate warnings -- spiralling temperatures, global sea-level rises, mass crop failures -- are something that many developed nations will only have to tackle in future. But many other countries are already dealing with the droughts, higher seas and catastrophic storms climate change is exacerbating. "A failure to act now risks pushing us beyond a point of no return with catastrophic consequences for life as we know it," said Amjad Abdulla, chief negotiator for the Alliance of Small Island States, of the UN talks. A key issue up for debate is how the fight against climate change is funded, with developed and developing nations still world's apart in their demands. Poorer nations argue that rich countries, which are responsible for the vast majority of historic carbon emissions, must help others to fund climate action. "Developed nations led by the US will want to ignore their historic responsibilities and will say the world has changed," said Meena Ramam, from the Third World Network advocacy group. "The question really is: how do you ensure that ambitious actions are done in an equitable way?"

Climate change threat 'never been worse': UN climate chief in Poland

The 2015 Paris Agreement is the first pact under which all nations commit to taking actions to curb global warming, caused mainly by emissions from burning coal, oil and gas.&nbsp;

Key facts about the agreement:

&nbsp;The climate club&nbsp;

A total of 196 governments, including the Palestinian Authority, have endorsed the landmark deal and 183 have officially ratified it as of December 1.

International agreements can be signed, but only become binding through ratification.

The accord which becomes operational in 2020 &nbsp;entered into force in November 2016 when it crossed the threshold of 55 ratifying parties representing at least 55 per cent of global greenhouse gas emissions.

The world's top carbon polluters, in descending order, are China, the United States, the European Union, and India.

The biggest polluter not to have ratified the deal is Russia, which ranks 5th. Turkey and Iran have also failed to ratify.

Exit strategy&nbsp;

The agreement allows parties to quit, but notice can be given only three years after entry into force. Withdrawal would take effect a year later.&nbsp;

In June 2017, US President Donald Trump announced that the United States would pull out. Under treaty rules, that cannot formally take place until November 4, the day after the next US presidential election.&nbsp;

A country can also withdraw from the 1992 UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) under whose authority the deal was negotiated. Withdrawal takes effect a year after notification, which can be given at any time.

The goal

Nations have agreed to hold global warming to 'well below'&nbsp;two degrees Celsius (3.6 degrees Fahrenheit) over pre-Industrial Revolution levels and to strive for a lower limit of 1.5C, if possible.

A major report from the UN's science advisory body, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), concluded in October that the 1.5C cap is technically feasible but would require a rapid and wholesale transformation of the global economy.

Even the two-degree ceiling is a huge challenge, according to the IPCC, which calculated that emissions must drop 40-to-70 per cent by 2050 (compared to 2010 levels) to hit that target.&nbsp;

Signatories have undertaken to ensure that global emissions peak "as soon as possible". They rose in 2017, and are on track to go up again this year.&nbsp;

Voluntary national pledges annexed to the treaty would see the planet warm by at least 3C, a recipe for catastrophic floods, heatwaves, drought and storm surges made worse by sea level rise, say scientists.

&nbsp;Tracking progress&nbsp;

Starting in 2020, countries will take stock every five years of their collective progress in curbing global warming, with an eye toward boosting national efforts to cut emissions.

Most current pledges extend to 2030, with a few including the plan submitted by the United States under Barack Obama running to 2025.&nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp;

But faced with the inadequacy of those pledges and dire warnings from climate scientists that emissions must peak and sharply decline as soon as possible, nations are under pressure to enhance their carbon-cutting commitments sooner.&nbsp;

&nbsp;Financing

Rich countries are required to provide funding to help developing nations make the costly shift to clean energy and to shore up defences against climate impacts.

The treaty mandates climate aid of $100 billion (88 billion euros) per year starting in 2020.&nbsp;

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/global-warming-outpaces-efforts-to-slow-it-un-179838">A running tally published last week by the UN </a>showed that climate finance is roughly on track to hit that total, but disagreements remain over the sources of funding and how much will be earmarked for adapting to climate change.

Importantly, one of the Paris Agreement's long-term goals is to make all finance flows consistent with low-carbon and climate-ready economic development, which will be measured in trillions, not billions.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

The 2015 Paris Agreement is the first pact under which all nations commit to taking actions to curb global warming, caused mainly by emissions from burning coal, oil and gas.

The 2015 Paris Agreement is the first pact under which all nations commit to taking actions to curb global warming, caused mainly by emissions from burning coal, oil and gas. Key facts about the agreement: The climate club A total of 196 governments, including the Palestinian Authority, have endorsed the landmark deal and 183 have officially ratified it as of December 1. International agreements can be signed, but only become binding through ratification. The accord which becomes operational in 2020 entered into force in November 2016 when it crossed the threshold of 55 ratifying parties representing at least 55 per cent of global greenhouse gas emissions. The world's top carbon polluters, in descending order, are China, the United States, the European Union, and India. The biggest polluter not to have ratified the deal is Russia, which ranks 5th. Turkey and Iran have also failed to ratify. Exit strategy The agreement allows parties to quit, but notice can be given only three years after entry into force. Withdrawal would take effect a year later. In June 2017, US President Donald Trump announced that the United States would pull out. Under treaty rules, that cannot formally take place until November 4, the day after the next US presidential election. A country can also withdraw from the 1992 UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) under whose authority the deal was negotiated. Withdrawal takes effect a year after notification, which can be given at any time. The goal Nations have agreed to hold global warming to 'well below' two degrees Celsius (3.6 degrees Fahrenheit) over pre-Industrial Revolution levels and to strive for a lower limit of 1.5C, if possible. A major report from the UN's science advisory body, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), concluded in October that the 1.5C cap is technically feasible but would require a rapid and wholesale transformation of the global economy. Even the two-degree ceiling is a huge challenge, according to the IPCC, which calculated that emissions must drop 40-to-70 per cent by 2050 (compared to 2010 levels) to hit that target. Signatories have undertaken to ensure that global emissions peak "as soon as possible". They rose in 2017, and are on track to go up again this year. Voluntary national pledges annexed to the treaty would see the planet warm by at least 3C, a recipe for catastrophic floods, heatwaves, drought and storm surges made worse by sea level rise, say scientists. Tracking progress Starting in 2020, countries will take stock every five years of their collective progress in curbing global warming, with an eye toward boosting national efforts to cut emissions. Most current pledges extend to 2030, with a few including the plan submitted by the United States under Barack Obama running to 2025. But faced with the inadequacy of those pledges and dire warnings from climate scientists that emissions must peak and sharply decline as soon as possible, nations are under pressure to enhance their carbon-cutting commitments sooner. Financing Rich countries are required to provide funding to help developing nations make the costly shift to clean energy and to shore up defences against climate impacts. The treaty mandates climate aid of $100 billion (88 billion euros) per year starting in 2020. A running tally published last week by the UN showed that climate finance is roughly on track to hit that total, but disagreements remain over the sources of funding and how much will be earmarked for adapting to climate change. Importantly, one of the Paris Agreement's long-term goals is to make all finance flows consistent with low-carbon and climate-ready economic development, which will be measured in trillions, not billions.

The Paris climate treaty: A snapshot