On Monday, the first day of the international climate summit in Paris, world leaders staked out their positions on climate action. Prime Minister Narendra Modi categorically stated that climate change was not a monster of India's making, batting for a deal that ensured justice to developing nations. The United States, however, has been pushing to do away with differentiation that would put the onus of greater action and financing on developed countries.

Even though the conference opened with strong words and pledges and a slew of pledges to finance climate action, not the least of which is a solar alliance lead by India to mobilise $1 trillion, there is already great doubt about a successful outcome. The big statements at the start of COP21 will be followed by battalions of negotiators from each country haggling a over the details of what everyone hopes will be a legally binding deal that will be effective in curtailing global carbon emissions, so that atmospheric temperatures don't rise by more than two degree Celsius above pre-industrial levels.
Editorial cartoonists from around the world have been quick to capture the fault lines in the negotiations ‒ world leaders arriving in Paris in their gas-guzzling jets annd SUVs, rich countries lecturing poor countries on climate action, the inability for political leaders to strike a climate consensus up till now. Here are some of the best picks.

 

 
The Hindu


 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 


For those looking for a refresher on the 25-year history of climate change negotiations, Nature created a comic strip on the journey from the creation of a United Nations platform for climate talks in 1990, via Rio, Kyoto, Copenhagen and finally on to Paris. But here is another clever cartoon for the shorter, and more ironic version, of the seven stages of every climate conference.