3 things you may have missed at the UN climate talks

After weeks of negotiations, the United Nations climate talks, known as COP27, wrapped up nearly two days past deadline — striking a last-minute, historic agreement on this session’s most anticipated issue: payments for climate change damages to developing countries. 

Developed nations agreed to create a fund to compensate poorer nations for catastrophic consequences of climate change. Yet critical components – including which countries will provide financing, and which will benefit – are being pushed to future negotiations. 

Countries also reaffirmed the urgency of the Paris Agreement’s goal of keeping global temperature rise to 1.5 degrees Celsius, however that will require ambitious action at home to reduce the use of fossil fuels and conserve high carbon ecosystems. 

“The world’s forests, oceans and other ecosystems are key to preventing the worst effects of a warming planet,” said Lina Barrera, vice president for International Policy at Conservation International. “At COP27 we saw governments recognize the vital importance of natural ‘carbon sponges’ to the…