Poorer nations could sway climate talks

PARIS has braced itself to accommodate ministers, advisers, journalists and protesters to the UN climate change meeting, COP 21 (Committee of All Parties), which has 137 confirmed attendees by heads of state on the first day. Then it will be up to other conference delegates to wrangle an agreement which many hope will be the "Kyoto II".

Of course Paris and the French government have been planning this meeting for some years as they have to cater for 40,000 people, including 3,000 journalists. Many issues have to be managed on a massive scale - communications, transport, accommodation, food and more. Plus delegates need to be protected from the expected 200,000 protesters - although their planned rally has been cancelled due to the heightened security against terrorist attacks. Finally, all 195 nations of the United Nations are expected to sign the convention, typically by their heads of government.

Earlier, I had thought COP 21 might be a "done deal" as the world's biggest climate polluters in absolute terms - China and the US - had agreed a timetable of mitigation. When US President Barack Obama met Chinese President Xi Jinping in China last November they agreed the US would reduce emissions by some 28 per cent by 2025, and China to peak emissions by 2030 or before. They reaffirmed their commitments when Mr Xi visited the US in September 2015. Other nations were expected to follow their lead.