Australia will be one of more than 160 nations formally signing the Paris climate agreement in New York this week. But delivering on those promises is what really counts.
Construction of a dam in Ethiopia which the country hopes will increase its hydropower energy output.
Reuters
Ethiopia is a country particularly vulnerable to climate change. It will hope to attract climate finance at CoP21 to help battle the effects of climate change.
Ben Parr, University of Melbourne and Don Henry, University of Melbourne
Much of India's huge population is still without electricity, perhaps making climate action a tough sell. But India's vision for green development chimes well with the world's climate agenda.
African leaders meeting with French leader Francois Hollande at a pre-COP21 working lunch.
Philippe Wojazer/Reuters
African delegations for the Climate Conference have met to discuss key issues they would like to see addressed in Paris. Finance and energy were among the topics raised.
Russia has lots of gas – but needs a lot of heat.
Ilya Naymushin / Reuters
New Canadian prime minister Justin Trudeau brings a very different face to climate talks in Paris. Will it project its oil extraction tradition or show global leadership on emissions cuts?
Crucial to Paris is a system to monitor and verify countries’ pledges to reduce emissions.
Kacper Pempel/Reuters
Australia’s new emissions target is not “squarely in the middle of comparable economies". Towards the bottom of the pack of comparable countries, on key indicators. But Australia is coming to the party, and that counts for a lot.