Nearly 200 countries have overcome political divisions to agree upon a set of rules for implementing the 2015 Paris climate accord.
However, critics are warning that the plan is not ambitious enough to curb the effects of global warming.
The COP24 UN climate talks in Katowice, Poland ended with agreement on guidelines for transparently reporting national greenhouse gas emissions and country’s efforts to reduce them.
But the meeting postponed decisions on more ambitious actions in the fight against climate change and on regulating the market for international carbon emissions trading.
"Positive for the world"
Speaking last night, Michal Kurtyka, the chairman of the talks insisted they have been worthwhile – and welcomed the agreement as "positive for the world."
“With approximately 200 countries in the room, it is not easy to find agreement on a deal so specific and so technical,” he said.
“Under these circumstances, every single step forward is a big achievement, and through this package you have made a thousand little steps forward together.
“You can feel proud.
“We will all have to give in order to gain. We will all have to be courageous to look into the future and make yet another step for the sake of humanity.”
"Not nearly enough"
However, environmental groups have warned that far more ambitious targets are required.
Greenpeace International executive director Jennifer Morgan said: "A year of climate disasters and dire warning from the world's top scientists should have led to so much more.
"Recognising the urgency of raised ambition and adopting a set of rules for climate action is not nearly enough when whole nations face extinction."
#cop24 was a big disappointment. No commitments to higher ambition and only modest progress on technicalities for implementation of #ParisAgreement say @GreensEP MEPs @BasEickhout @yjadot - all important decisions postponed to 2019. https://t.co/SH2Ca5c58g @europeangreens @FYEG
— Ruth Reichstein (@RuthReichstein) December 15, 2018
Dire warnings
It comes following a number of dire reports on climate change and its effects on the planet.
Last month, the UN Environment Programme (UNEP) warned that countries around the world will have to triple their efforts to cut greenhouse gases to have any chance of preventing a climate change catastrophe.
The report warned that annual greenhouse gas emissions reached a record high of 53.5bn tonnes in 2017 – and are showing no sign of peaking by 2030, let alone 2020.
That followed the warning from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) that "rapid, far-reaching and unprecedented changes in all aspects of society" are needed to limit the levels of global warming.
Meanwhile, the 2019 Climate Change Performance Index ranked Ireland ranked as the worst country in Europe on climate action for the second year in a row.
Reach for more
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has welcomed last night’s agreement.
“Katowice has shown once more the resilience of the Paris Agreement - our solid road map for climate action,” he said in a statement.
“It is our duty to reach for more and I count on all of you to raise ambitions so that we can beat back climate change.”
