Over 200 countries met this month to make ‘New Year Resolutions’ responding to the climate crisis.

Judging from the previous 28 years promises made here often turn out to be as ineffectual as our own ‘New Year Resolutions’.

This year they finally financed a ‘Loss and Damage’ fund to help countries, like small island nations, which are vanishing under the waves.

This is vital but is so small it will make little difference; the United States promised a tiny $17million, the United Kingdom, $50 million.

In the future, as sea levels rise, Jaywick could be in the queue for this fund.

It’s shocking that after 28 years of conferences, fossil fuels (the prime culprits of global warming) received their first mention.

The hosts are among the biggest producers of oil and gas, so it comes as no surprise that the promise was downgraded from ‘phase out’ to ‘transition away from’, giving wriggle room to keep pumping oil and gas.

Indeed, the hosts took opportunities to meet participants and discuss new oil and gas contracts!

The conference was a mixed picture with the depressing result of ‘could do better!

Next year it will be in Azerbaijan, surprise surprise, another oil producing state.

We desperately need a stronger outcome as time to act is slipping away, 2024 is predicted to be the hottest ever recorded.

The United Kingdom, once a world leader in the battle against climate chaos, has lost the ‘moral high ground’ as the Tories backtrack on phasing out petrol and diesel cars and plans to phase out new gas boilers by 2035.

Their record on ensuring warm, sustainable homes is dismal.

Overall, the Tories seem to be abandoning the green agenda in favour of winning votes in the next election at any cost to future generations.