Latin America climate change progress requires aid

Subject

Latin America's climate change action.

Significance

The agreement reached during the 20th session of the UN Climate Change Conference (COP 20) held in Lima in December 2014 committed all countries, developed and developing, to make public their commitments to reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. These will form the basis for the crucial next session (COP 21) in Paris this December. However, political and economic factors reduce the chances of a legally binding agreement emerging from the process, providing wriggle room for those governments not wanting to meet their future commitments.

Impacts

• Countries in the region will face growing international pressure to publicise new or revised commitments to cutting emissions post-2020.
• If targets are to be met, countries with significant rainforests will have to improve on their logging records.
• The increasing budget deficits of many countries in the region will make the adaptation to climate impacts even harder.