Global Climate Meeting Will Forge Ahead, Despite Trump’s Contempt

“The COP president typically has a fair amount of power to set the tone for negotiations,” Horowitz explains. “I expect we’ll see a lot at this COP that relates to the priorities of small island nations.” These nations are extremely vulnerable to rising oceans—their fate is tied to the success of the Paris accord. “They could be among the first to lose significant sovereign territory,” Horowitz says. They will likely push for greater greenhouse gas reductions as well as emphasize adaptation to climate change and paying for losses and damages.