Global leaders near climate change deal in Paris

Global leaders were on the cusp of agreeing a climate change agreement that would commit to holding temperature hikes to “well below 2C” and to “pursue efforts to limit the increase to 1.5C”.

The 1.5C is needed to save small island states and many others from floods and sea rises that will not just inundate their land and cities, but contaminate their water with sea water.

But changes to the wording on food security and production would work against the world’s smallholder farmers, while favouring big producers, something Ireland and the IFA have been pushing for.