The Paris climate summit at a glance

Extract from The Guardian 

As the most important climate change event ever enters the final stages, get up to speed on the key points with our updated guide

The Paris summit aims to secure a deal on cutting global emissions to limit global warming to 2C. Photograph: Ian Langsdon/EPA

Adam Vaughan

@adamvaughan_uk

Saturday 12 December 2015 02.15 AEDT

What is the summit about?

Reaching a new global deal on cutting carbon emissions beyond 2020 and agreeing financing to help poorer countries cope with climate change.

When and where is it?

Paris’s north-eastern suburb of Le Bourget, from 30 November to 11 December (although the French have said the talks will run over into the weekend).

Who’s going?

195 countries are attending, and about 150 world leaders including US president Barack Obama, China’s Xi Jinping, India’s prime minister Narendra Modi and the UK’s David Cameron attended the opening of the summit.

Will it make a difference to my life?

Yes – but not immediately. The long-term decisions that governments and businesses take because of a deal in Paris will affect everything from which power plants provide your energy to what food you eat and how likely your home is to flood or be hit by extreme weather in the future.

Don’t we already have a climate deal?

The Kyoto protocol, the world’s only legally binding international climate treaty, initially covered only developed countries, and now covers just the EU, Australia and a handful of other countries who are required to cut emissions by 2020. There’s also a separate, non-binding declaration that covers voluntary cuts by scores of countries, rich and poor, up to 2020.

What effect have the terror attacks had?

Security was tightened following the attacks, and planned side events, such as a huge march in Paris, did not go ahead. Some observers say the attacks may galvanise greater urgency and solidarity.

What’s the mood music like for a deal?

Hopeful, with caveats. China’s chief negotiator and the president of last year’s summit in Lima are among those who say the political will finally exists for a deal.

But ...?

There are still some significant sticking points. Some of these appeared to have been resolved by Friday, the final scheduled day of the talks, but some tricky issues remained for negotiators to resolve. These include disagreements over finance from rich countries to help poorer countries adapt to climate change; how CO2 reductions should be accounted for and whether different rules should apply to rich and poor nations; and the issue of whether there will be language in the agreement that refers to liability or compensation for loss and damage suffered by some countries due to climate changes.

How do the countries line up?

The world’s two biggest emitters, China and the US, are both supportive of a deal in Paris – a key difference from the last big climate summit in 2009, when China was seen by many as a wrecker. The third-biggest emitter, India, has been more robust about elements of the proposed deal which it feels are being unfairly applied to it. India and other developing countries say their future growth could be curbed by the wrong kind of deal because of a problem that the rich nations created.

What was agreed before the talks even started?

More than 180 countries – representing virtually all of the world’s emissions – have submitted their climate pledges to the UN. But those pledges would still see the world warm by 2.7-3.3C, according to analyses. That’s far more than the 2C world leaders have agreed to hold temperature rises to, which is why many countries want to see a mechanism that reviews them every five years.

Won’t the summit have a huge carbon footprint?

The UN says the conference will result in around 21,000 tonnes CO2 equivalent. The organisers are offsetting the emissions.

Where can I find out more about the background to Paris?

Our in-depth guide shows how we got here via two decades of climate talks.