Small step forward

Developing nations largely left on their own on climate change

The 24th United Nations Summit on Climate Change (COP 24), held at Katowice (Poland), has managed to ensure the operationalisation of the Paris climate agreement from 2020 despite the world’s biggest polluter, the US, walking out of the pact and the unwillingness of developed countries to step up their targets for emission cuts and contributions to the Global Green Fund. However, some key concerns of the developing countries on the common but differentiated responsibilities and access to finance and technology for climate mitigation and adaptation, have remained either unaddressed or left to be decided at the next year’s ministerial meeting.