Global IssuesCOP20—Lima Climate Conference
Author and Page information
- This page: https://www.globalissues.org/article/805/cop20-lima-climate-conference.
- To print all information (e.g. expanded side notes, shows alternative links), use the print version:
On this page:
Introduction
December 1 – 14, 2014, Lima, Peru was the venue for the 20th annual United Nations Climate Change Conference, also known as the 20th Conference of the Parties — or COP 20.
The purpose of this conference was to create a universal agreement on climate change action and begin the process of financing mitigation.
Meeting outcome
The meeting ended with all nations agreeing to cut back greenhouse gas emissions. Known as the Lima Accord, this treaty is not legally binding and countries do not have to specify how much they will cut back, instead agreeing to report their plans back by March 2015.
While for many it sounded like a successful outcome, others were disappointed, such as poor countries struggling to rebuild from current impacts of climate change who were alarmed at the disappearance of loss and damage commitments from the final text which has been part of the discussion for years.
The global climate movement, 350.org, summarized the disappointments and hopeful aspects of the meeting outcome, noting
- The new agreement does not reflect the urgency of the climate crisis
- Some good agreements – but no measures to ensure implementation
- Least developed and vulnerable nations left out in the cold
- Divestment (from fossil fuel reliance) is more important than ever
- Global momentum for real solutions is stronger than ever and will keep on going.
In trying to put a positive spin on the overall disappointment they felt, they concluded, In the end, a global climate treaty is just one tool to combat climate change. Real change is going to continue to come from the grassroots. The UN Climate Talks continue to be a place where the world’s countries comes together to debate this crisis and people are putting in enormous efforts to make sure Paris [the next global meeting] won’t be like Copenhagen
which was full of disappointments despite big promises.
Samantha Smith, Leader of WWF’s Global Climate and Energy Initiative, was quite scathing of the meeting outcome saying that political expediency won over scientific urgency
. She also noted that Developed country governments couldn’t even manage to explain how they will deliver the long-promised US$100 billion per year in climate finance by 2020. In a move that seemingly dismissed the plight of the most vulnerable countries, they completely removed any meaningful language about ‘loss and damage’.
Mainstream media reporting
As with almost every previous meeting (with occasional exceptions), mainstream media reporting was very poor given the importance of this global issue. Where the meeting was reported it was generally towards the end, and just sound bite type summaries saying all countries agreed to emission cuts and that this was a major improvement.
While the treaty continued to say it honors the long-standing common but differentiated responsibilities
the mainstream media reporting (as in most years) has typically failed to provide explanation and context of this principle that has been an important part of these talks for over 2 decades; that poor and developing countries should not bear the same responsibilities as the developed ones (because they are not the cause of the anthropogenic carbon emissions over the previous decades that have led to this, which is detailed much more on this site’s page on climate justice).
A hint towards this principle may have been presented as a viewpoint of China or India, given the impression they are being obstacles, rather then explaining this principle in more context.
That was just one of the issues skirted over or omitted from common reporting. Others included issues on financing, technology support for poorer nations, etc. Behind the scenes, for decades, rich countries have stalled on these things or actively avoided trying to share technology etc, which is barely reported.
Every year, this criticism is made of mainstream reporting, so without following these negotiations each year, it can be easy to come away with the impression that this meeting had a positive outcome.
But as this discussion hosted by Democracy Now! shows, there were a number of important issues of contention:
In context: common but differentiated responsibilities
Many years ago all nations agreed that climate change was largely the result of actions from today’s industrialized nations, as carbon dioxide — the main greenhouse gas — stays in the atmosphere for decades. Yet, the poorest would end up suffering the most for a problem they largely did not cause. The approaches to mitigation (emissions reduction) would therefore be different for those groups of countries — the common but differentiated responsibilities principle.
It is in this context that the discussion for loss and damage has come about. And it is something that rich countries are keen to get rid of .
The years of resistance on this issue (and many others) means each time it is discussed again the reactions seem to get even more hostile. Combined with the lack of detailed context in the mainstream media coverage of this aspect, it then becomes easier each time to see culprits as China and India given their enormous greenhouse emissions in recent years, compared to the far greater amount by the industrialized nations over the longer period. See this site’s section on climate justice for more detailed background.
And as this site has said for years on the climate justice page, the rich nations are delaying any meaningful action until it is eventually — and disproportionately — paid for the by the developing nations. New Delhi based Nitin Sethi, associate editor at Business Standard, interviewed in the earlier mentioned video says the same thing, but more frankly:
There is no action that’s going to happen between now and 2020. All of that was to be done by the developed countries. They [rich nations] basically have just said at Lima that
we are not going to do any more than what we’re doing so far, and the burden can shift onto the post-2020 era, where other developing countries have to share it.So, to me, it indicates really negotiation in bad faith.
More information
As the conference is still underway as this page is written, more information will be added here after the event is over.
For more about the issues from other organizations, here are some starting points:
News stories from IPS
Below is a list of stories from Inter Press Service related to the Lima climate conference and its aftermath.
Rampant Tourism, Climate Change Threatens Varkala's Unique Geodiversity
- Inter Press Service
VARKALA, India, Apr 24 (IPS) - Varkala is an area with unique geological and geomorphological heritage. But its fragile cliffs are also affected by severe weather and high waves during the monsoon season. Activists say rampant and illegal tourist infrastructure and climate change are putting this dramatic landscape at risk.From the top of the cliff, the beach down below appears like a box of sand, with people scattered on it like tiny ants. This is Varkala, arguably the most sought-after coastal tourism spot in Kerala, India, right now.
Climate Groups Report 2025 Is Unlikely To Be Hotter Than 2024
- Inter Press Service
UNITED NATIONS, Apr 23 (IPS) - On March 19, the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) and the Copernicus Climate Change Service (C3S) issued a report on the State of Global Climate in 2024, detailing the numerous heightened natural disasters that were a consequence of human-induced climate change. With the past three years having been recorded as the three hottest years in human history, climate scientists are optimistic that 2025 will see slightly cooler global temperatures.
World leaders rally for ‘full-speed’ climate action ahead of COP30
- UN News
At a high stakes virtual summit on Wednesday, UN Secretary-General António Guterres and Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva brought together 17 national leaders from major economies and climate-vulnerable countries. The goal was to accelerate global climate ambition ahead of COP30, which will be hosted in Brazil.
Climate crisis driving surge in gender-based violence, UN report finds
- UN News
Without urgent action, climate change could be linked to one in every ten cases of intimate partner violence by the end of the century.
Local leaders raise temperature on action to fight climate change
- UN News
City officials, state governors and other leaders across the world are ensuring their localities can benefit from initiatives that tackle climate change and can prosper in an uncertain future.
Partnerships, increased climate investment crucial for sustainable transition, says UN deputy chief
- UN News
Addressing the opening of an international forum in Hanoi on partnerships for green growth, UN Deputy Secretary-General Amina Mohammed on Wednesday emphasized the need for accelerated action to meet global climate and development goals.
Standing Firm: Civil Society at the Forefront of the Climate Resistance
- Inter Press Service
LONDON, Apr 15 (IPS) - The recent US court case that ordered three Greenpeace organisations to pay damages of over US$660 million to an oil and gas company was a stunning blow against civil society’s efforts to stop runaway climate change and environmental degradation. The verdict, following a trial independent witnesses assessed to be grossly unfair, came in reaction to Indigenous-led anti-pipeline protests. It’s vital for any prospects of tackling the climate crisis that Greenpeace’s appeal succeeds, because without civil society pressure, there’s simply no hope of governments and corporations taking the action required.
Welcoming Science: CGIAR Week-Long Focus on Innovation for Food, Climate-Secure Future
- Inter Press Service
NAIROBI, Apr 07 (IPS) - The world’s leading scientists and decision-makers in agriculture, climate, and health are meeting in Nairobi this week to promote innovation and partnerships towards a food, nutrition, and climate-secure future. As current agrifood systems buckle under multiple challenges, nearly one in 11 people globally and one in five people in Africa go hungry every day.
CGIAR Science Week Seeks Solutions for a Food-Secure, Climate Resilient Future
- Inter Press Service
NAIROBI, Apr 07 (IPS) - CGIAR and the Kenyan Agricultural and Livestock Research Organization (KALRO) are bringing together the world’s leading scientists and decision-makers in agriculture, climate, and health for the first CGIAR Science Week. This gathering will be a key moment to advance research and innovation, inspire action, and establish critical partnerships that can secure investment in sustainable food systems for people and the planet.
Global Climate Action Progressing, but Speed and Scale Still Lacking
- Inter Press Service
Mar 31 (IPS) - 2025 marks the tenth anniversary of the Paris Climate Agreement. One of its chief architects, Christiana Figueres, says the world is heading in the right direction but warns that urgent action is needed to close critical gaps.
Latin America & the Caribbean in 2024: Renewable Energy and Early Warning Systems Offer Hope Amid Climate Extremes
- Inter Press Service
DOMINICA, Mar 28 (IPS) - The World Meteorological Organization’s State of the Climate in Latin America and the Caribbean report recounts the toll of record-breaking hurricanes, heat and flooding in the Region, but shines light on renewable energy and a response to the call for robust, end-to-end early warning systems.Hope in the face of climate extremes. That is the overarching message about the State of the Climate in Latin America and the Caribbean in 2024.
Can renewable energy survive climate change?
- UN News
As droughts reduce hydropower and clouds dim solar output around the world, experts say meteorology and climate science must be at the heart of the energy transition.
‘Renewables are renewing economies’, UN chief tells top climate forum
- UN News
Ministers from 40 countries met on Wednesday at the first major climate forum of 2025 to discuss progress in renewable energy generation and the rising toll of inaction over rising temperatures.
Strengthening Indigenous Peoples and Local Communities’ Knowledge and Access Opens up Opportunities for Climate, Biodiversity and Desertification Action
- Inter Press Service
RICHMOND HILL, Ontario, Canada, Mar 25 (IPS) - The central role Indigenous Peoples and local communities in addressing climate change, biodiversity loss and desertification has gained widespread recognition over the past decade. Indigenous Peoples’ close dependence on resources and ecosystems, exceptional tradition, and ancestral knowledge are invaluable assets for the sustainable management of our planet’s natural resources.
Award Winning Women Goat Herders in Chile Confront Climate Change
- Inter Press Service
OVALLE, Chile, Mar 21 (IPS) - Chile's goat tradition began in 1544. Now, despite a prolonged drought, the women herders are adapting it to climate change and producing award-winning cheese.Women goat herders in the municipality of Ovalle, in northern Chile, are confronting climate change by defending their heritage through improvements in the quality and variety of their products, which has led some to win international awards for their cheeses.
End of eternal ice: Many glaciers will not survive this century, climate scientists say
- UN News
Glaciers in many regions will not survive the 21st century if they keep melting at the current rate, potentially jeopardising hundreds of millions of people living downstream, UN climate experts said on the first World Day for Glaciers.
Climate change: Paris Agreement goals still within reach, says UN chief
- UN News
The effects of human-driven climate change surged to alarming levels in 2024, with some consequences likely to be irreversible for centuries - if not millennia – according to a new report from the World Meteorological Organization (WMO).
CARICOM Leaders Take Steps to Tackle Crime, Climate, Trade and Food Crises
- Inter Press Service
DOMINICA, Feb 24 (IPS) - CARICOM leaders wrapped up a crucial meeting on February 21, reaffirming their commitment to tackling pressing regional challenges with unity and resolve. From crime and security to education, trade and climate change, the leaders highlighted the need for decisive action amid global uncertainties.
Blamed for Causing Droughts: Zimbabwe’s LGBTQI Community Faces Climate Crisis Head-on
- Inter Press Service
MUTARE, Zimbabwe, Feb 20 (IPS) - Wrongfully accused of
causing droughts,
a group of LGBTQI people in Zimbabwe involved themselves in climate-smart agriculture and are now showing the way to mitigate climate change in a country recently devastated by El Niño-induced drought.Takudzwa Saruwaka is hoeing weeds in a cowpea field in eastern Zimbabwe one morning in February, trying to beat torrential rains threatening from the gray clouds above.Food, Water, Crime, Climate Change: CARICOM Leaders Begin 48th Conference with Commitment to Joint Action on Critical, Common Concerns
- Inter Press Service
BRIDGETOWN, Barbados, Feb 20 (IPS) - Leaders of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) are meeting in Bridgetown from Feb. 19-21, as the world grapples with multiple crises, including escalating geopolitical conflicts, climate change and rising food insecurity.
Human Insecurity from Climate Change on Vanuatu and Guam
- Inter Press Service
Feb 13 (IPS) - The climate crisis is severely endangering human well-being. While the climate security nexus is omnipresent in national security strategies and on international institutions’ agendas, political responses remain insufficient and are often problematic. Among other issues, related policies often struggle with siloization or a focus on symptoms instead of root causes.
Airing climate justice in Costa Rica on World Radio Day
- UN News
Quality radio remains ever universal, popular and more reliable in an era of artificial intelligence (AI) and social media, including in Costa Rica, where unique programming raises awareness and promotes public participation on climate decision making in Latin America, the theme of this year’s World Radio Day, marked annually on 13 February.
Climatic Change Pushes Pakistan’s Trout Fish Farming Towards Collapse
- Inter Press Service
PESHAWAR, Pakistan, Feb 11 (IPS) - Pakistan’s once-thriving trout fish farming industry, a vital source of livelihood for communities in the country’s mountainous northern region, is now on the verge of collapse due to the devastating impacts of climate change.
Shaping Conditions for Fair, Equitable and Enduring Climate Finance
- Inter Press Service
Feb 11 (IPS) - The global commitment to fair climate finance is at a crossroads. COP29 concluded with a disappointing New Collective Quantified Goal on Climate Finance (NCQG), leaving developing nations at risk of being left behind. With the U.S. withdrawing from the Paris Agreement and slashing development aid, prospects for more ambitious fair climate finance are getting out of sight.
WFP, FAO Warn of the Severity of the Climate Crisis and Food Insecurity
- Inter Press Service
UNITED NATIONS, Feb 07 (IPS) - Over the past few years, climate shocks have become more frequent and have devastated economies and agriculture systems, exacerbating widespread malnutrition and hunger. It has become increasingly apparent that the utilization of sustainable agriculture practices and disaster risk management systems are crucial to fulfill growing needs as natural resources continue to dwindle.
Can We Still Solve Climate Change?
- Inter Press Service
SAN FRANCISCO, California / APEX, North Carolina, Jan 31 (IPS) - When it comes to climate change, the awful news has been coming thick and fast. We now know that in 2024, the Earth’s average temperature exceeded 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels for the first time.
Can We Still Solve Climate Change?
- Inter Press Service
SAN FRANCISCO, California / APEX, North Carolina, Jan 30 (IPS) - When it comes to climate change, the awful news has been coming thick and fast. We now know that in 2024, the Earth’s average temperature exceeded 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels for the first time.
At Davos, Guterres slams backsliding on climate commitments
- UN News
The world’s political and business elite present in Davos on Wednesday faced an uncompromising address from UN chief António Guterres as he rounded on a lack of multilateral collaboration in an “increasingly rudderless world” at risk from two existential dangers: climate change and unregulated Artificial Intelligence (AI).
UN regrets US exit from global cooperation on health, climate change agreement
- UN News
UN agencies responded on Tuesday to President Trump’s executive orders ending US membership of the World Health Organization (WHO) and its adherence to the Paris Climate Agreement, highlighting the massive potential negative impact on public health and efforts to curb global warming.
Climate emergency: 2025 declared international year of glaciers
- UN News
As glaciers disappear at an alarming rate due to climate change, the UN General Assembly has declared 2025 the International Year of Glaciers’ Preservation (IYGP).
Author and Page Information
- Created: