COP21: WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW

WHAT IS THE GOAL?
Countries will be looking at ways to limit global warming to two degrees by 2100 by curbing carbon emissions. This could include making each country's Intended Nationally Determined Contributions (INDCs) legally-binding, potential targets to phase out fossil fuels and targets for renewable energy. According to the organising committee, the objective of the 2015 COP (The Conference of the Parties) is to achieve - for the first time in over 20 years of UN negotiations - a binding and universal agreement on climate, from all the nations of the world.

WHAT'S THE SCHEDULE?
The first week of the talks will see negotiators work on the draft text in what's known as the 'Ad Hoc Working Group on the Advanced Durban Platform'. By the second week, negotiators should have resolved the majority of issues, leaving just a few key points and phrases as sticking points. This is when the official COP – the Conference of the Parties to the UNFCCC – begins its high-level negotiations. The last few days of the conference will see the final 'plenary' meeting – a meeting of all the countries at the most senior level. Every country will have its chance to veto the agreement.

WHAT IS LIKELY TO BE AGREED?
178 countries have already submitted their carbon emission pledges that cover more than 90% of global emissions. The EU will cut its emissions by 40% compared with 1990 levels, by 2030. The US will cut its emissions by 28% compared with 2005 levels, by 2025. China has said it will peak its emissions by 2030.
However, the pledges already made will still not be sufficient to limit global warming to 2°C, according researchers. Experts expect current INDC's to limit warming to 2.7°C.
There appear to be two main mechanisms to help overcome this shortfall. The first is to encourage non state-actors to cut emissions. The second option is for the UN to host regular reviews of countries' emissions targets, with the ability to strengthen them if they are being met.

THE STICKING POINTS WILL WE SEE A LEGALLY-BINDING DEAL?
Probably not in the traditional sense. The main reason for this is that the US Senate is unlikely to ratify an international climate agreement. Therefore, the document must be written in a way that allows the President to sign it without needing their approval. So the document won't include specific national targets, but will likely commit countries to the actions needed to reach their targets.

WILL THERE BE FIVE-YEARLY REVIEWS?
A 'ratcheting' mechanism seems likely to be included in any outcome agreement, because of the flexibility it offers. The White House, the European Union, China and France and the UN's Figueres have all laid out their support for a mechanism which forces countries to review their targets periodically. But they do not agree on how often reviews must be done, or an in-built obligation to ramp up carbon-cutting efforts.

CLIMATE FINANCE
One of the sticking points in the build up to these talks was climate finance - i.e. the money that rich countries would provide to poor countries to help to adapt to the impacts of climate change and develop new clean energy infrastructure. Back in 2009, rich countries made a promise to deliver $100bn in climate finance annually from 2020, but it was unclear where that money would come from. Good news is, According to Associated Press, commitments from industrialised nations alone are now between $60-70bn a year. However, when including pledges from international development banks, NGOs and the private sector, that figure rises to nearly $200bn.
 

2C OR 1.5C?
UN has set the bar at 2 C. But Poor countries and low-lying, small-island states -- which will be hit first and hardest by climate change -- say 2.0 C is not good enough, and favour a tougher goal of 1.5 C (2.4 F). To have a 50/50 shot at 2 C, global CO2 emissions must peak by 2025 and drop dramatically thereafter. By 2050, humans must no longer be adding CO2 to the atmosphere.

REASONS FOR OPTIMISM
There are plenty! The weather has played a large role in softening the public's appetite to make the considerable lifestyle sacrifices that are likely to result from drastic emissions cuts. In 2014, America and China, the two biggest polluters, made an unprecedented joint pledge to make concrete reductions in their carbon emissions. Support from the non-state actors appears to be stronger than ever before. Corporate giants like Mars, Unilever, Ikea are all making bold commitments of their own and calling on governments to back them up. Financial behemoths like Allianz are starting to cut fossil fuels out of their investments, while international banks are creating specific green funds for the first time and pointing out the risks of the carbon bubble. Religious leaders are getting in on the act too. Pope Francis famously published an encyclical called Laudato si' - intended, in part, to influence the Paris conference. Meanwhile, leading representatives of Islam have also called for action to tackle climate change across the world.