Time is running out for us to take real action on climate change. Climate scientists have warned again and again that we need to cut greenhouse gas emissions immediately to avoid catastrophic levels of global warming. The consequences of this warming are most severe for communities already disadvantaged by any quantity and injustice. Three year, the nations of the world convene under the UN at the Contrary of the Parties, known as COPS, to negotiate how to respond to the threat of climate change. At COOP 21 in 2015, the Paris Agreement resulted in a landmark decision. Countries agreed to voluntarily reduce emissions in order to limit global warming well below two degrees Celsius, while pursuing efforts to limit the increase to 1.5 degrees. The Paris Agreement also commits developed countries who have contributed much more to causing climate change through historical and current emissions to provide resources to developing nations who will be impacted most. COOP 27, held in Egypt in November 2022, was the stage for continuing negotiations to make good on the promises of the Paris Agreement. One of the biggest battles in the negotiations was over the issue of loss and damage. Till now, COOP discussions had focused on mitigation, or how to reduce greenhouse gases in the atmosphere to keep warming below 1.5 degrees, and adaptation, or how to adapt to its impacts. But today, at 1.1 degrees Celsius warming, communities are already facing severe climate losses and damage to their homes, livelihoods, and vital infrastructure. These impacts can't be avoided even with the best mitigation and adaptation efforts. In terms of historic and current responsibility, the USA, Canada, the countries of the European Union, Russia, and Japan are responsible for the vast majority of emissions. This is why the Paris Agreement holds countries to the principle of common but differentiated responsibilities. Develop nations should take the lead in combating climate change by reducing emissions and providing financial support to developing countries. Development countries have agreed to fund adaptation and mitigation, but have historically blocked the creation of a dedicated fund for loss and damage caused by climate change. Until now. In 2022, developing countries negotiated as a strong, unified block, and with the support of civil society, Russia developed countries to agree to a loss and damage fund. Though the details still need to be ironed out and money is yet to be committed, this political victory remains a symbolic down payment on climate justice. Another huge issue in Egypt was the amount of money that will be made available for climate action. In 2009, developed countries committed to providing US$100 billion every year in climate financing from 2020 onwards. But this promise has never been met and they have shown little political will to deliver. In particular, promises made in 2021 to double financing for adaptation were not delivered upon an Egypt. Just before the Egypt meetings, the UN released a bleak analysis detailing the dangerous lack of ambition in country's pledges. Global emissions must be reduced by 43% from 2019 levels to keep global temperature rises from going over 1.5 degrees. But current country commitments add up to a reduction of merely 3.6% – a fraction of the action needed, and there was little progress towards addressing this at COP27. In 2021, COP26 resulted in an agreement to phase down coal use and production. At COP27 in Egypt, there was fierce debate over expanding this commitment to include a phase down of all fossil fuels. Despite demands from multiple countries, the COP27 presidency of Egypt, no doubt under the influence of powerful neighbours in the region, made little effort to push for the phase down. The fact that there were over 600 representatives from fossil fuel corporations at COP27 may also have something to do with this. Civil society has been calling to kick big polluters out of the talks for years due to huge conflicts of interest, but these companies still wheel influence over the UN meetings. Continuing the fight against fossil fuels and keeping associated corporate interests out of the negotiating rooms will be huge challenges for the upcoming COP28, which will be held in the petrol state of the United Arab Emirates. One positive outcome of COP27 was that for the first time, the conference recognised the links between failures in the financial system and climate change. Developing countries are being hit by a growing debt crisis, compounding the devastating impacts of climate change, but the vast majority of available climate finance incurred more debt. The conference formally acknowledged this inequality, as well as the need to reform the practices of some of the biggest lenders, multilateral development banks, and to transform the global financial system. Activists use COP27 as an opportunity to call for change. Repressive strategies used by the authoritarian Egyptian government made civil participation challenging. Despite this, the people made their voices heard through diverse and powerful protests. There were also solidarity calls to free political prisoners in Egypt such as Allah Abdel Fata, demanding the recognition of climate justice as a human rights issue. COP27 was branded the implementation COP by the UN, but with such little progress, there is nothing much to implement. Climate justice movements and political leaders have a lot of work to do before COP28 is held in Dubai in December 2023. For COP28 to be a success, developed countries were needed to overcome their addiction to fossil fuels and provide reparations for historical, environmental and climate harms. Anything less would not do justice to the crisis which we find ourselves in today, and civil society movements would not let up until these demands are met.