Longest UN climate talks end in Madrid with a compromise deal

The longest United Nations climate talks on record have finally ended in Madrid, Spain with a compromise deal.

Exhausted delegates reached agreement on the key question of increasing the global response to curbing carbon.

All countries will need to put new climate pledges on the table by the time of the next major conference in Glasgow next year.

Divisions over other questions - including carbon markets - were delayed until the next gathering.

After two extra days and nights of negotiations, delegates finally agreed on a deal that will see new, improved carbon-cutting plans on the table by the time of the Glasgow conference next year.

All parties will need to address the gap between what the science says is necessary to avoid dangerous climate change and the current state of play which would see the world go past this threshold in the 2030s.

Supported by the European Union and small island states, the push for higher ambition was opposed by a range of countries including the US, Brazil, India, and China.

However, a compromise was agreed with the richer nations having to show that they have kept their promises on climate change in the years before 2020.

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said he was disappointed by the result.

[Source: BBC]