Island nations at risk of being erased from the map by rising seas accused rich countries of losing sight of the urgency of the climate crisis on Thursday as a marathon U.N. summit in Madrid entered its final stretch.
The two-week negotiations are being watched for signs that governments are ready to honor the 2015 Paris Agreement to combat global warming by submitting more ambitious plans to cut greenhouse gas emissions next year.
But with the talks due to close on Friday, countries bearing the brunt of floods, droughts and hurricanes say that industrialized nations are refusing compromises needed to advance complex talks on financial aid and carbon trading.