The world of climate change negotiations has its own language and lexicon — loss and damage, differentiation, the long-term goal, a global stocktake — and in Paris this month the future of the planet was written in these peculiar phrases.
In 32 pages of legalese, negotiators from nearly 200 countries assembled a document that will serve as the backbone of an international effort to combat climate change and adapt to its rapidly accelerating impacts. With the Paris climate talks now concluded, governments, civil society organizations, aid donors, NGOs and businesses are faced with a question: should they celebrate the Paris climate agreement, or protest it?
In the immediate aftermath of the agreement, supporters are rushing to declare it a game-changing victory.
About the author
Michael Igoe@AlterIgoe
Michael Igoe is a Senior Reporter with Devex, based in Washington, D.C. He covers U.S. foreign aid, global health, climate change, and development finance. Prior to joining Devex, Michael researched water management and climate change adaptation in post-Soviet Central Asia, where he also wrote for EurasiaNet. Michael earned his bachelor's degree from Bowdoin College, where he majored in Russian, and his master’s degree from the University of Montana, where he studied international conservation and development.
