Patricia Espinosa, executive secretary of UN Climate Change, has asked for an “honest and realistic assessment of what happened” at COP25 in Madrid.

Admitting that the conference did not result in agreement on the guidelines for a much-needed carbon market, Espinosa held out hope that the spirt of ambition was at least raised, particularly in finance: “Many decisions that emerged from the conference in Madrid at least acknowledge the role of climate finance, essential for concrete action.”

Espinosa’s comments might be an act of damage limitation, or as a bridge to Glasgow, and against the more caustic assessment by the UN Secretary-General António Guterres on the Outcome of COP25 who bluntly noted: “I am disappointed with the results of #COP25. The international community lost an important opportunity to show increased ambition on mitigation, adaptation and finance to tackle the climate crisis.”

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