UN climate talks head to a conclusion on Friday with nations deeply divided over cash to help poor countries cope with the impacts of climate change.
The idea of phasing down the use of all fossil fuels to limit the rise in temperatures is also the subject of a deep rift as the COP27 talks wind up.
The Egyptian hosts are trying to broker an agreement among almost 200 countries after two weeks of negotiations.
But such is the scale of division the talks may overrun into the weekend.
The Egyptian presidency has presented a draft document that sums up the positions of the different countries.
The big sticking point here is the need for a new fund to help countries deal with the immediate impacts of climate change.
The issue is known as “loss and damage” in the framework of UN talks. Rich countries have resisted this discussion for 30 years, fearing that since they played a major role in causing climate change, they will have to pay for it for centuries to come.
But the impacts of flooding in Pakistan, Nigeria and elsewhere in recent years have tipped the balance – here in Egypt the issue of the losses and damages due to rising temperatures has finally made it onto the negotiating agenda.
One of those taking part in the discussions is Tuvalu’s minister for finance Seve Paeniu.
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