Many of the LDCs and island states are on our doorstep and are feeling the impacts of climate change that they did the least to cause. Australia, a high per-capita polluter and a wealthy nation, needs to assist these countries.

This includes supporting them at the UN climate talks and leaving laggards such as the USA and Canada who continue to block real and urgent action to reduce emissions and put the reins of the runway climate change.

.Our government can also increase our target to reduce emissions to levels that recommended by science (25% – 40% by 2020) and continue to invest in the resilience of poor people in developing countries to deal with climate change.

Whilst the final outcome was a win for the UN process and multilateralism, it falls well short on setting out how the world will cut emissions and limit climate change.

Currently, we are on track for a world of 3.5 degrees warming let alone the below 2 degree target agreed to by world leaders. Action in 2012 and beyond is still needed to pressure our governments to set out a plan to cut emissions, agree on a timeline of when emissions will peak and provide much needed finance to poorer countries to deal with climate change. Australia can play its part by agreeing to move beyond its 5% emissions target to what the science demands, between 25% and 40%.