Negotiations at the United Nations climate conference in Glasgow are moving into the endgame. Wednesday’s surprise joint declaration by China and the U.S. by no means guarantees a meaningful global deal, but it does improve the odds.
A successful COP26 accord would keep global warming below 1.5 degrees Celsius and provide the tools needed to track progress in order to help make it happen. It will require nearly 200 countries to agree on the details across four key policy areas. To get there, the next two days, or possibly slightly more, will need to be a master class in horse-trading and international diplomacy as pressure mounts and time ticks down. Whatever deal emerges could have big implications for business.