Vulnerable countries tired of global inaction on climate change

Climate action cannot be delayed any longer, and the leaders of developed economies need to step up and follow the example already being set by developing countries

Countries most at risk from climate change are tired of inaction and they are not simply calling for help — they are leading by example. Picture: John Giles/PA Wire

Jamaica, Rwanda, the Marshall Islands, and Mongolia are among the world’s most climate-vulnerable countries and account for just a small percentage of global emissions. This year, their economies have also been affected by the Covid-19 pandemic. Yet every one of these countries delivered updated climate plans to the United Nations, as set out in the 2015 Paris climate agreement, before the deadline at the end of this year.

In other words, countries that have contributed the least to the climate crisis are now among the most committed to resolving it. This should set an example for developed countries, including the United States, whose emission-reduction plans — due by midnight on December 31 — have not yet materialised.