COP24 climate conference: World facing ‘greatest threat in thousands of years’

After two weeks of difficult negotiations, the world’s nations agreed on a set of rules meant to help curb global warming.

This so-called “Paris Rulebook” is supposed to put into motion the landmark 2015 Paris Agreement on climate change.

But scientists and even the negotiators themselves acknowledge the rulebook won’t be enough on its own to stop carbon pollution from reaching critical levels.

Read more about what was agreed at COP24, and an analysis of how some nations are still arguing over basic climate science.

COP24 President Michal Kurtyka celebrates at the end of the conference's final session.

It’s now 8.50pm in Katowice, Poland.?

Negotiations continue as COP24 spills further into overtime.?

We’re signing off for now, but we’ll return when a decision has been reached.

Climate negotiations at COP24 in Poland appear to be nearing a close. Two government ministers and one senior negotiator in the closed-door talks tell CNN that only one issue remains – how countries report the pollution that causes warming, and whether they may be?allowed to “double count” some of it. Brazil is among the countries holding up the talks on this point, negotiators said. Small island states have begrudgingly conceded to “compromise” language concerning the state of climate science, according to Simon Stiell, minister of climate resilience and environment from Grenada, in the Caribbean.?

That had been another major point of disagreement, with the United States and others not wanting to “welcome” the results of a recent report from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. “Right now we are close,” Norway’s climate and environment minister, Ola Elvestuen, told CNN. “But there is always something at the end. Nothing is agreed until all is agreed.” A plenary session is scheduled for 12pm ET/6pm local.

Read what the IPCC report expects from you

The Trump Administration’s refusal to “welcome” the results of a major scientific report on climate change is seen as a sticking point at the COP24 climate change talks in Poland, which are still in overtime without resolution.?

Officials on have today released a new draft of a contentious statement that has hung like a cloud over these negotiations.?

At issue is a report from the UN Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), which says drastic cuts to fossil fuel and other carbon pollution are needed in order to avoid disastrous levels of global warming. The new draft text “welcomes the timely completion” of that report. That is an “elegant compromise” that stops short of the endorsement that the European Union and small-island countries had wanted; and also acknowledges the fact that the United States does not endorse the report, said Camilla Born, senior policy advisor at E3G, an environmental policy think tank. “They’re welcoming the fact that they’re doing it on time. I read that bit as a recognition of (the report) – but it doesn’t make any political judgement on its value,” she said.?

It remains unclear how countries will react to the language, she said.?

Negotiators from around the world have been in closed-door meetings this morning and overnight on Friday.?

Debate about whether to “welcome” or simply “note” the findings of that report have stalled negotiations and flared emotions, observers say.?

The United States, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and Russia last weekend refused to “welcome” the findings of the report, stunning some delates from other countries that consider climate change an urgent threat.?

Brazil also is a “hard-liner” in the talks over how credits for pollution reduction are handled, according to a senior negotiator in the closed-door meetings. “It looks like they are going to push this to the limits,” the source said.

Brazil’s request could be viewed as an effort to double-count pollution reduction efforts, according to the senior negotiator.

That single issue – but likely not the entire rule-making effort – could be pushed out of the discussions here and into talks next year, observers said.?

Read more about the IPCC report here

Good morning from COP24 in Katowice, Poland.

After a long night of delayed meetings and negotiations, we’re still waiting for a statement on the rulebook.

We’ll bring that news to you when it happens.

On what is meant to be the final day of talks at COP24, there’s still no consensus on a final text.

We’re signing off for now, but we’ll return when a decision has been reached.

At a press conference this afternoon the “High Ambition Coalition” – which includes the EU, Canada, Costa Rica, Argentina, New Zealand, Norway, and a number of small island nations – called for a robust Paris rulebook.

David Paul, Environment Minister of the Marshall Islands, said:

“We need three things from this COP:

“One, is the IPCC report must be front and center coming out of this COP and in all future work.

“Two, there must be a clear signal that there will be an increase in ambition coming out of this COP.

“Three, we need a rulebook that will fully implement all aspects of the Paris Agreement and lead to ambition.”

Members of the Global Campaign to Demand Climate Justice protest ahead of the final session of COP24 today.

After two weeks of discord, negotiations to save the world from disastrous levels of global warming are sputtering toward a conclusion.

The point of the negotiations is to come up with a “rulebook” that will make real the Paris Agreement on climate change, which countries agreed to at a previous round of these talks in 2015.

New, but not final, drafts of those rules were released last night and will continue to be revised.

But not everyone is happy with the draft texts.

Read the full story here.

Protestors at COP24 chant: “Keep polluters out, let the people in.”

Youth and front line community leaders have occupied a staircase in the main foyer of the COP24 conference hall.

Activists are calling for climate justice holding big banners that read: “Which side are you on?” and “Stand with people not polluters.”

Pupils are demonstrating in Berlin, Hamburg and Kiel today to raise awareness about the causes and consequences of climate change.

Inspired by young climate activist Greta Thunberg, students in Germany have called on Facebook and Twitter to protest for the climate instead of going to school.

A girl holds a poster reading 'All I want for Christmas is coal phase-out' as she demonstrates with other students on December 14, 2018 in Berlin.

There are many bizarre paradoxes at play at COP24 as climate talks reach a critical climax.

The biggest of which is that the summit itself is being held in the heart of Poland’s coal country.

CNN’s Nick Paton Walsh went 1,000 meters below ground into a coal mine in Katowice.

“It’s quite startling this far below the Earth to see how divorced this world is from the global challenge above at COP24,” he said.

Watch the full report:

Inspired by 15-year-old Swedish activist Greta Thunberg’s call for a global climate strike, students are protesting at COP24 singing: “All I want to say is that they don’t really care about us.”

We’re back up and running at COP24 as ministers attempt to agree on a common rulebook. Will that come today, or will negotiations spill over into the weekend?

After 2 weeks of talks much remains to be finalized.

We’re signing off our coverage for the day as we wait for a draft negotiating package to be released — the spine of what could become the “Paris Rulebook.” It will give options for ministers to consult on – and hopefully agree on by the end of the week.

We’ll be back to make sense of it tomorrow.?

More than 1,000 institutions with managed investments worth almost $8 trillion have committed to divest from fossil fuels, according to a new report announced at COP24 today.

The report by international environmental organization 350.org says pledges have been made by cities, banks, insurance companies, pension funds, faith groups and other institutions across 37 countries.

Speaking at COP today, 350.org’s Nicolas Haeringer said:

“This is clearly a moral movement, it’s about saying: ‘Stop wasting your money in destroying the planet.’

“But it’s not just a moral movement; it has turned into a financial one. … The question for financial institutions that haven’t divested yet is not are they going to divest, but when?”

At a press conference hosted by the Climate Vulnerable Forum, a group of 48 countries that are highly vulnerable to the impacts of climate change, there was criticism of the inaction at COP24, and demands for developed nations to make more ambitious climate pledges.

Emmanuel De Guzman, of the Philippines Climate Change Commission, said:

“We find the ambivalence of countries in these negotiations unacceptable. The success of these talks will determine countless lives and existences.

“The decades of procrastination and inaction must end at Katowice,” he added.

Head of the Maldives delegation, former president Mohamed Nasheed, suggested it was time to stop asking developed countries to cut emissions, and instead ask them to invest in renewable energy:?

“Since I last addressed COP 19 in 2009, nothing much seems to have changed,” he said.

“We’re still begging the leaders of big polluters to stop polluting on ethical grounds, but they’re not listening to us – they never were.

As we close out our coverage for the day, we’ll leave you with a report on the challenge facing delegates on day 10 of COP24 – Will they be able to agree on a rulebook before the Friday deadline??

‘A huge mess’: Failure at COP24 would be ‘suicidal’

At COP21 in 2015, the emergence of a “High Ambition Coalition” helped drive through the Paris Agreement.

COP24 has just seen the emergence of a new “High Ambition Coalition,” that includes the EU, Canada, Costa Rica, Argentina, New Zealand, Mexico, Norway, Fiji and the Marshall Islands.

The group says it is “determined to step up ambition by 2020,” including through enhanced national climate pledges, increased short-term action and long-term low emission development strategies.

A statement from the coalition adds:

“The Summit must deliver a clear, strong and effective multilateral response to the Special Report on 1.5°C, including by countries stepping up climate ambition.”

“We call on other governments and non-Party stakeholders to join us in striving to step up ambition by 2020 in response to the Special Report on 1.5°C.”?

Towards the end of the day, the United States delivered its much-awaited statement at the COP high-level segment.

Judith G. Garber, senior bureau official from the Department of State, who heads the US delegation at COP24, listed her country’s accomplishments in reducing fossil fuel emissions, while stressing that fossil fuels would continue to play a role in the US energy mix – along with natural gas, nuclear power and renewables.

She referred to President Trump’s announcement last year that the US would leave the Paris Agreement, “absent the identification of terms that are more favorable to the America people.”

Garber concluded:

“The US will continue to engage our many partner countries and allies around the world to reduce emissions, to continue to adapt to climate change, and to respond to natural disasters.

“We’ll also work with other countries to develop and deploy a broad array of technologies as we continue to promote economic growth, improve energy security, and protect the environment.”

Former US Vice President Al Gore today called for urgent action against climate change.

Speaking this afternoon at the Greenpeace Climate Hub, just across the road from the COP24 venue, he said:

“So much is at stake?… we have to pick up the pace and that’s why the next two days in Katowice are so important.”

He added:

“For those who doubt that we as human beings have the political will to make big change, just remember that political will itself is a renewable resource.”

Gore criticized the US, Russia and Saudi Arabia for their opposition to endorsing a major climate change report, and said:

“It’s important to understand where the opposition to saving our future is coming from.”

Gore addressed the same subject at a press conference earlier in the day.

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres today returned to COP24, after addressing delegates at the opening of the conference last week.

“Returning to Katowice, I see that despite some progress in the negotiating texts much remains to be done,” he said.

He noted that key political issues remain unresolved, with just three days of negotiations left.

“I urge you to find common ground that will allow us to show the world that we are listening, that we care,” he told the conference.

“This is the time for consensus. This is the time for political compromises to be reached. This means sacrifices, but it will benefit us all collectively.”

He then reminded the ministers tasked with reaching an agreement just how much was at stake:

The 15 winners of the United Nations Climate Action Award were honored at a special ceremony last night.

The Momentum for Change award recognizes ideas and initiatives tackling climate change from all over the world.

Winners include:

“Yalla Let’s Bike”: Syrian women are defying traditional gender roles and cycling the streets of war-torn Damascus, to promote sustainable transport.

The initiative, launched in 2014, seems to be working, as according to the UNFCCC bicycle shops claim that sales have risen and that women made up 40% of buyers in the last two years.

River Ganges clean-up: Over 8 million tonnes of flowers are discarded in India’s Ganges river every year for religious purposes, according to the UNFCCC. This is adding to the pollution of the river, which provides drinking water for over 420 million people.

HelpUsGreen has come up with a profitable solution: “flowercycling”. Women collect floral waste and its up-cycled to produce organic fertilizers, incense and biodegradable packaging material.

Read more about all the winners here.

As we sign off for the day, we leave you with an ambitious project from youth initiative Plant For The Planet.

The group hosted a COP side event today and outlined its goal of planting a trillion trees by 2030 – which it says could capture 25% of global carbon emissions.

Speaking at the event, Mette Wilkie, chief of forestry policy and resources with the UN Food and Agriculture Organization, said: “We need all the tools in our toolbox to help us to get to the target we have of 1.5 degrees and planting trees is definitely one of them.”

She added: “We need to plant additional trees, and protect the forests that we have and make sure we manage them.”

L-R: Rita Schwarzeluhr-Sutter, Secretary of State, Ministry for the Environment, Germany; Nassirou-Ba, UN Economic Commission for Africa; Mette Wilkie, chief of forestry policy and resources, UN FAO.

Human-caused climate change is transforming the Arctic, both physically and biologically, according to a?peer-reviewed report released today from the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

The annual Arctic Report Card found temperatures in the Arctic are warming more than twice as fast as the overall planet’s average temperature, and the last five years have been warmer than any other years in the historical record, which goes back to 1900.

“What starts in the Arctic isn’t confined there,”?Thomas Mote, a research scientist at the University of Georgia who authored part of the report, told CNN Meteorologist Brandon Miller.

“Changes in sea ice influence ocean currents and the jet stream in ways that can affect weather in lower latitudes, including the United States and Europe.”

The report highlighted several of these events over the past year as an example of how Arctic warming can influence day-to-day weather.

Read the full story here.

How can the travel and tourism sector take steps to attain a carbon neutral world?

This was up for discussion at COP24 today where the World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC) presented a pathway for the sector to achieve carbon neutrality by 2050.

Gloria Guevara, President and CEO of WTTC announced the creation of an annual “State of the Climate” report to evaluate, monitor and share progress toward this goal.

Ahead of the event, Fiji’s Minister for Defence and National Security, Inia Seruiratu said Pacific Island countries are already experiencing the impacts of climate change.

“The tourism sector is a major revenue earner for our country. Unfortunately, the attractions that drive this sector – our reefs, sandy beaches, clear seas, and forest biodiversity – are under threat from the impacts of climate change.

Carbon capture and storage (CCS) – technologies that remove carbon dioxide from the air – must be deployed alongside other clean technologies to stave off the consequences of global warming, according to a new report launched at COP24 today.

The report by the Global CCS Institute tracks the worldwide progress of CCS technologies as well as where and how it can be more widely deployed.

‘Our lives depend on it’

Acclaimed teen polar explorer Jade Hameister and proponent of CCS, supported the report:

Related: Can this carbon capture technology save us from climate change?

CNN’s John Sutter went to Honduras to investigate the origins of the migrant “caravan” moving toward the United States that’s caused much controversy.

The CNN investigation shows Central Americans have left their homes after a years-long drought that has shriveled crops and put 2 million people at risk for hunger.

Read the full story.

An estimated 17 million people in Latin America could be forced to relocate within their countries because of climate change by 2050 under the worst-case scenario, according to the World Bank’s “Groundswell” report on climate migration.

Tensions are running high as the world’s representatives hash out a “rulebook” to help ensure the viability of humanity.

US fossil fuels “sideshow”

A US-led discussion to “showcase ways to use fossil fuels as cleanly and efficiently as possible” was temporarily halted by a group of protestors shouting “shame on you!” and “keep it in the ground!” – a reference to fossil fuels that they say should be left unearthed.

Demonstrators disturb the speech of P. W. Griffith, advisor to US President Trump, at the Department of Energy at COP24 on December 10.

US refuses to “welcome” major climate report

Over the weekend, the United States, Russia, Saudi Arabia and Kuwait stood in the way of a statement to “welcome” the dire assessment of climate science from the UN Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change.

Read the full story here.

Our live coverage of COP24 has ended for the day. Scroll through the posts below to see the highlights of the conference so far.

None of the countries evaluated by a new report are doing enough to limit the global temperature rise to 1.5°C.?

The Climate Change Performance Index 2019, published by NGOs Germanwatch, the NewClimate Institute, and the Climate Action Network, compares the climate performance of 56 countries and the EU, which are together responsible for more than 90 percent of global greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions.

It ranks countries by determining their performance in four categories: GHG emissions, renewable energy, energy use and climate policy.

In this year’s index, no country performed well enough to reach the “very high” ranking – that is, doing enough to keep temperatures within 1.5°C of pre-industrial levels.?

Sweden was the highest-ranked country, followed by Morocco and Lithuania.

Medium-performing countries include France, Mexico, Germany and the Czech Republic.

The bottom five are Saudi Arabia, the United States, Iran, South Korea and Taiwan.

Speaking at COP24 today, Niklas H?hne of the NewClimate Institute said:

“Now is the time to raise ambition for all of these countries and we hope that next year we (will) see more countries moving up the ladder.”?

A group of 415 global investors managing assets worth $32 trillion have called on governments to take serious steps to cut emissions.

The Institutional Investors Group on Climate Change issued a statement today warning of an “ambition gap” between steps governments have promised to take, and the actions needed to limit global warming.

The statement has been endorsed by financial heavyweights including HSBC, Nomura Asset Management and UBS Asset Management.

Protesters pictured during a march for the climate on December 8 in Katowice, Poland.

The group urged governments to phase out thermal coal power and fossil fuel subsidies, and set a price for carbon emissions.

“Much more needs to be done by governments to accelerate the low carbon transition and to improve the resilience of our economy, society and the financial system to climate risks,” the group said in a statement.

Read the full report here.

Dozens of protestors interrupted a US event aimed at promoting coal and other fossil fuels at COP24 today.

Chanting “Keep it in the ground!” and “Shame on you!” the activists called for an end to the fossil fuel era.

Speaking from the podium, Trump administration energy adviser Preston Wells Griffith said: “All energy sources are important. And they will be utilized unapologetically.”

CNN’s Gul Tuysuz posted from the event:

Luxury fashion houses, retailers and suppliers have signed a fashion industry charter for climate action, committing to reduce their aggregate greenhouse gas emissions by 30% by 2030.

The new charter formally launched at COP24 today with support from 40 signatories including Stella McCartney, Burberry, Adidas and H&M Group.

The companies involved have agreed to prioritize low-carbon transportation suppliers and favor climate-friendly materials.

A model walks in Burberry during a show for the Spring/Summer 2019 collection at London Fashion Week on September 17, 2018. The fashion label said it would ban its practice of destroying unsold products.

Related: Burberry bans destroying unsold goods and using fur

In response to the US refusing to “welcome” a major climate change report, Alden Meyer, director of strategy and policy with the Union of Concerned Scientists, an independent advocacy group, told a press conference at COP24:

“It’s a sad day indeed when the US says it can’t endorse the findings of this major scientific report.”

Meyer added:

To avoid a climate catastrophe, people will have to drastically shift their diets from resource-intensive foods such as beef, according to a report by the World Resources Institute, released last week at COP24.

CNN’s Nick Paton Walsh took a trip to Texas, beef capital of the US, to look into the environmental impact of beef, and how human consumption needs to change to reduce global warming.

Changing a diet isn’t easy, but there steps we can take to reduce our beef intake.

From blended meat to bug burgers, these are your beef alternatives.

On Saturday, there was deadlock at COP when the United States, Saudi Arabia, Russia and Kuwait objected to a proposal to “welcome” a major climate change report that was released in October.

The report by the UN Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change states there must be substantial efforts before 2030 to limit warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius to prevent drastic consequences.

The US, Saudi Arabia, Russia and Kuwait – all major fossil fuel producers – said they would “note” the scientific conclusions, rather than welcome them.

It might seem like a small difference, but many countries felt that “welcoming” the report would be an important signal that its findings would be addressed.

A US state department spokesman said:?

CNN’s Nick Paton Walsh reports live from COP24:

Watch CNN’s special report on the cost of beef.

Protesters took to the streets of Katowice today holding placards that read “political change, not climate change,” “act now or swim later,” and “welcome to coal 24.”

Read more about COP24 taking place in the heart of Poland’s coal country.

As the first week of COP24 draws to a close we look back at the progress so far.

Read more about what’s at stake and what’s yet to be decided.

Today at COP24, young climate activists called for more government action, transparency and further funding towards tackling climate change.

Speaking at a press conference for YOUNGO, the official youth constituency of UN Climate Change, young people set out their guidelines for how the Paris Agreement should be implemented.

One YOUNGO representative said:

While another spokesperson stressed the importance of engaging youth on the topic of gender and climate justice:

Last week, YOUNGO members also gathered to discuss their policy position during the annual Conference of Youth in Katowice.

Another stark reminder of the harm caused by climate change comes with a report that the rate at which Greenland is losing its ice is accelerating.

Greenland’s ice sheets are melting at a rate 50% higher than pre-industrial levels and 33% above 20th-century levels, according to a study published Thursday in the scientific journal Nature.

Sarah Das, an associate scientist at the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution and co-author of the study, said:

The study found that ice loss is driven primarily by warmer summer air, and that even small rises in temperature can trigger exponential increases in the ice’s melt rate.

“As the atmosphere continues to warm, melting will outpace that warming and continue to accelerate,” says Luke Trusel, an assistant professor at Rowan University and study co-author.

Read more about it here.

Thursday’s coverage of COP24 has now come to a close.

Today was Youth Day at the conference, with young climate activists calling for their voices to be heard.

Tomorrow, children passionate about the environment will share their message at the annual Conference of Youth.

Summer heatwaves in the United Kingdom are 30 times more likely thanks to human-induced climate change, according to a new report from the country’s national weather service.

Presented at COP24 today, the report shows that the UK has an approximately 12% chance of average summer temperatures being as high as in 2018, the hottest summer on record.

Under “natural” climate conditions such temperatures would typically have a less than 0.5% chance of occurring.

Read more on this report.

A parched section of the Wayoh Reservoir at Edgworth near Bolton, northwest England, on August 1, 2018.

Temperatures peaked at 35.6 Celsius (96F) in Felsham, in the east of England, on July 27 2018.

Met Office chief scientist Professor Stephen Belcher said in a statement:

Related: UK summers could be over 5 degrees Celsius hotter by 2070

A new report presented at COP24 finds that wealthier countries are not paying their fair share towards tackling climate change.

It calls for rich countries to urgently invest more not only towards domestic efforts, but also to actions beyond their borders.

The report is backed by international trade unions, faith and other civil society groups, and NGOs - including WWF, Friends of the Earth, and Oxfam.

Speaking at COP24 today, Mohamed Adow, international climate lead for charity Christian Aid, said: “Climate change is the ultimate injustice.”

Friends of the Earth International Climate Campaigner Rachel Kennerley shared this photo from the event.

Without financial support, poorer countries will not be able to ramp up their climate ambition fast enough and will not meet Paris Agreement goals, according to the report.

The poorest half of the world receives less than one-tenth of the global total income, and generates almost no emissions, the report says.?“It follows that they cannot be equally asked to shoulder the burden of climate action,” it adds.

A report published yesterday revealed that global CO2 emissions are set to hit an all-time high this year.

While global fossil fuel emissions plateaued between 2014 and 2016, the report, called the?Global Carbon Budget 2018, projects that emissions will rise 2.7% this year, following a 1.7% rise in 2017.

This is mostly due to an increase in global coal use, as well as increased emissions from transport.

Read more on the report here.

‘Writing is on the wall’

China, the US, India, Russia, Japan, Germany, Iran, Saudi Arabia, South Korea and Canada are listed as the biggest emitters. The EU as a whole ranks third.

Harjeet Singh, global lead on climate change for international charity ActionAid, told CNN the emissions growth was “very depressing,” and that governments attending COP24 must now deliver climate justice.

Our coverage of COP24 day three has now come to a close.

Today’s top takeaways include chilling statistics from the World Health Organization report on the true cost of climate change.

Shipping giant Maersk says it aims to cut its carbon emissions to zero by 2050.

The Danish company urges other companies in the industry to do the same, and help it to come up with the technology for the next generation of vessels.

Speaking to CNN’s Richard Quest, Maersk chief operating officer Soren Toft said:

Read more about Maersk’s goal here.

World's largest container shipping group aims to be carbon neutral by 2050

Maersk is not the only firm to make climate commitments during COP24:

Shell: The Anglo-Dutch energy company said it will establish short-term carbon emissions targets starting in 2020, and that it will link executive pay to hitting these targets. This is in addition to the company’s existing goal to halve its net carbon footprint by 2050.

Volkswagen: VW announced that its last generation of combustion-engine cars will be launched in 2026, meaning a focus on electric cars from there on.

Xcel Energy: Colorado’s largest electric utility commits to 100% carbon-free electricity by 2050. It plans to reduce carbon emissions 80% by 2030.

Meeting the commitments of the Paris Agreement could save millions of lives and hundreds of billions of dollars by 2050, according to the World Health Organization’s COP24 special?report on health and climate change.

Dr Maria Neira, WHO Director of Public Health, Environmental and Social Determinants of Health, said:

Read more on the report here.

How do we feed 10 billion people by 2050 without increasing emissions, fueling deforestation or exacerbating poverty??

A new World Resources Institute (WRI) report unveiled at COP24 offers a “menu of solutions” that it says shows it is possible to feed everyone sustainably and prevent climate catastrophe.

These strategies include reducing consumption, improving agricultural efficiency, and reforestation.

First and foremost, people will have to drastically shift their diets from resource-intensive foods such as beef.

Speaking today at the launch of the global food report, Craig Hanson from the WRI said:

CNN’s coverage of COP24 day two has now come to a close.

We’ll leave you with some perspective from Mae Jemison, the first African American woman in space, who today called for urgent climate action.

She said:

European Space Agency astronaut Alexander Gerst sends an emotive appeal to COP24, from the International Space Station.

“I have a unique view of our planet,” said Gerst in a video message posted on YouTube. “Up here I see its beauty, its fragility, and also the impact humans make.

“What’s in your hands today is no less than the future of our world.”

Gerst added:

The UK and Poland launch “Driving Change Together” – a global initiative for developing zero-emission transport.

COP24 president Michal Kurtyka said:

Kurtyka added that the initiative has already secured support from over 30 countries, including Canada, Austria and Japan.

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres praised the partnership, saying that urgent action is required to reduce emissions from transport, not just to prevent climate change but also to stem air pollution.

He said:

E-mobility for everyone

A World Bank report launched today says that developing countries also stand to benefit significantly from e-mobility.

“New and disruptive technologies such as electromobility hold promise for greenhouse gas reductions, but there are challenges to be solved,” said?Franz Drees-Gross, World Bank Director for Transport.?

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres outlines the importance of national governments in fighting climate change.

During a briefing on the UN 2019 Climate Summit, due to be held in New York in September, he called on states to raise their ambitions and use summits not just to outline their progress but deliver firm commitments.

“The summit is not an end in itself. It is a tool, a tool to leverage unprecedented ambition, transformation, and mobilization…

“The Paris Agreement is not a piece of paper. It is a historic compact among nations, a compact to ensure our survival.”

CNN’s live coverage of the first day of COP24 has now come to a close.

Expectations for the conference have been set high, after a united call from world leaders and environmentalists to fight climate change. But we are yet to see what COP24 will achieve.

As Antonio Guterres, UN Secretary General, said today:

You can read more on COP24 and climate change here.

Antonio Guterres speaks at the opening ceremony of COP24

According to the UN Emissions Gap Report 2018, published last week, “global greenhouse gas emissions show no signs of peaking.”

Total annual greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions reached a record high in 2017.

The report notes: “While there has been steady progress in the number of countries that have peaked their GHG emissions or have pledged to do so in the future, the 49 countries that have so far done so, and the 36% share of global emissions they represent, is not large enough to enable the world’s emissions to peak in the near term.”?

The climate talks are taking place amid calls for more ambition to keep temperatures within 1.5 degrees C of pre-industrial levels.

In October a report by the?UN Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) warned the planet could reach that level by as early as 2030, based on current levels of greenhouse gas emissions.

Global net emissions of carbon dioxide would need to fall by 45% from 2010 levels by 2030 and reach “net zero” around 2050 in order to keep the warming around 1.5 degrees C.

This chart from the IPCC shows how global temperatures would respond to a sudden and drastic reduction of greenhouse gas emissions. Even with immediate action, global temperatures will still overshoot the goal of 1.5 degrees C, but could reduce back to the target over time.

This summer, 15-year-old Swedish girl Greta Thunberg refused to go to school and protested outside the Swedish parliament, to draw attention to climate change.

She continues her protest every Friday.

Today at COP24 she met with UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres. Speaking at a press conference after, she says:

“I told him that for 25 years countless people have stood in front of UN climate conferences, begging world leaders to stop emissions. But clearly that has not worked, emissions are continuing to rise over and over.

I will not beg the world’s leaders for change. I will tell them that change is coming whether they like it or not.”

Thunberg called on others from her generation to act.

“We have to realize what the older generations have done to us, what a mess they have created… (and) we have to make our voices heard.”

Greta Thunberg holds a placard reading "School strike for the climate" during a protest outside the Swedish parliament on November 30, 2018.

Among the world leaders, Arnold Schwarzenegger takes to the podium.

While speaking at the opening ceremony, Austrian President Alexander Van der Bellen invites the former actor and Governor of California to join him to “give a bit of a pep talk.”

Schwarzenegger stresses the importance of local leaders in the US in fighting climate change.

He says:

The World Bank Group today announced that it would invest $200bn to support countries taking action against climate change from 2021-25.

Jim Yong Kim, president of World Bank, said the world’s poorest and most vulnerable are at the greatest risk from climate change and he urged the wider global community to follow its lead.

He said:

Renowned nature broadcaster Sir David Attenborough addresses world leaders.

“Right now we’re facing a man-made disaster on a global scale, our greatest threat in thousands of years: climate change,” he says.

In the weeks leading up to COP24, the UN asked members of the public to send their thoughts on climate change. Attenborough is there to represent the people.

“I am only here to represent the voice of the people to deliver our collective thoughts, concerns, ideas and suggestions,” he says.

“The people have spoken. Leaders of the world you must lead. If we don’t take action the collapse of our civilizations and the extinction of much of the natural world is on the horizon.”

Watch Christiane Amanpour’s 2016 interview with?Attenborough

In his opening speech Michal Kurtyka, COP 24 President and Secretary of State in the Ministry of Environment, notes Poland’s reliance on coal for energy.

He calls for a “just transition” to help communities dependent on fossil fuels change their lifestyle.

The past four years have the been the hottest on record, according to a report published last week by the World Meteorological Organization.

You can read about it here.

Antonio Guterres, UN Secretary General, says “Climate change is running faster than we are and we must catch up sooner rather than later before it is too late.”

Speaking at the opening of COP24 he highlights just how much needs to be done.

President Donald Trump attends G20 summit in Buenos Aires, November 30

At the weekend, G20 leaders agreed on a statement that includes a section on climate, saying that signatories to the Paris climate accord reaffirm the agreement “is irreversible and commit to its full implementation, reflecting common but differentiated responsibilities and respective capabilities, in light of different national circumstances.”

“We will continue to tackle climate change, while promoting sustainable development and economic growth,” the document reads.

But a separate clause puts the United States alone, saying it “reiterates its decision to withdraw from the Paris Agreement, and affirms its strong commitment to economic growth and energy access and security, utilizing all energy sources and technologies, while protecting the environment.”

Climate author Mark Lynas paints a stark picture of the world’s commitment to the Paris Agreement and efforts to tackle global warming.

This will be a big issue on the agenda at COP 24.

Read his opinion article here:

Why the Paris Agreement won’t save us from climate change

On Sunday, tens of thousands of people took to the streets of Brussels as part of the “Claim the Climate” march.

This followed similar climate protests in London, Berlin and Cologne, all urging delegates meeting at COP24 to set more ambitious targets to limit carbon emissions.

Climate protest in Brussels, December 2.

COP 24 is happening in Katowice. It’s a small city right in the middle of Silesia, one of the biggest coal-producing regions in Europe.

80% of Poland’s electricity comes from coal power.

You can read more about it here:

BOGATYNIA, POLAND - OCTOBER 06: The lignite-fired power station of the polish energy company PGE (Polska Grupa Energetyczna) is pictured on October 06, 2018 in Bogatynia, Poland. (Photo by Florian Gaertner/Photothek via Getty Images)

Related article Climate conference in the heart of coal country

Today we’ll see the official opening ceremony, and what’s known as the “high-level segment for heads of state and government.”

It’s notable that the heads of the world’s biggest carbon-emitting countries won’t be speaking today.