World leaders’ words need to be turned into action at COP21

In response to world leaders’ speeches for action on the opening day of the Paris climate talks, Oxfam’s climate change lead, Kelly Dent said: “Leaders took to the world stage with words of inspiration but delegates have got little more to bring the world closer to a strong climate deal. “To get the deal we need for the poorest and most vulnerable people, we need to see a deal that brings more money to the table so that they can adapt and protect themselves from the affects of climate change. A commitment to keep on reducing emissions to avoid dangerous warming is key to a sustainable future for us all.  Every country needs to do more, but rich countries need to lead the way and look beyond 2020. The next two weeks are not going to be easy, but the deal-makers must be in no doubt that millions of people – and their leaders – expect them to deliver.”