UN general-secretary António Guterres attempted to reset the agenda going into the final days: “To waste this opportunity in Katowice would compromise our last best chance to stop runaway climate change. By the last official day of negotiations, there was still no resolution in sight for critical issues such as financing for developing countries’ climate efforts – though some progress on this was achieved by close of business. Minister for Climate Action Richard Bruton flagged to NGOs he met in Katowice that Irish climate commitments would be made when he was sure they could be delivered on. There is clearly insufficient progress on persuading countries to make firm commitments to cut their emissions further than they have already promised. The greater ambition and urgency desperately sought by so many outside the talks remains elusive.

Source: The Irish Times December 16, 2018 22:19 UTC