Road to Paris: a timeline of negotiations for a global climate deal
This week, delegates from 196 governments are convening in Lima for what they hope will be a productive UN climate summit. After an upbeat start, the hope is that Lima could provide a stepping-stone to the UNFCCC Paris summit next year.
The aim for Paris? To produce a global climate treaty that can bind all nations, including the biggest emitters of greenhouse gases.
Despite 25 years of negotiating, such an agreement would be the first of its kind. The last attempt to achieve a global climate agreement in Copenhagen was widely regarded as ” disastrous“, resulting only in a political accord.
The meeting in Lima follows the publication of the IPCC’s 5th assessment report. A spokesperson from the Association of Small Island States described this latest report as “a roadmap for how to be successful in Paris. What is needed now is for leaders to take the wheel”.
So where are we on the road to Paris? What progress has been made since Copenhagen, and what’s left to do before the summit? Here’s our summary of the road travelled by policymakers so far, as well as the route ahead.
Timeline: Road to the Paris climate conference. Credit: Rosamund Pearce/Carbon Brief.