The 24th Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework on Climate Change (COP24) took place in Katowice, Poland from 2-14 December 2018. COP24, which marked the third anniversary of the Paris Agreement, was hosted under the specter of dire warnings presented by the United Nations’ Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) Special Report on 1.5°C of Global Warming issued in October 2018.

COP24 had three main objectives. The first entailed the completion of the rulebook for the full implementation of the Paris Agreement. The second was to encourage nations to increase their carbon reduction pledges by 2020. Finally, COP24 sought to increase the climate-finance commitments for poor nations which are already suffering the impacts of climate change.

Given the seriousness of climate change/global warming and the fact that carbon emissions have risen for the first time in 3 years, COP24 called for a renewed sense of urgency for governments to pursue both climate change mitigation and adaptation initiatives.

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