Failure to get tough on emissions rules undermines Paris climate pact

Allowing countries to get credit for the same emission reductions will hamper fight against climate change.

MADRID — When the world agreed to the landmark Paris climate agreement in 2015, there was a surge of optimism that we had finally found a blueprint for tackling climate change on a global level.

In reality, a lot of the hard work lay ahead. We left much to be decided in terms of the how the agreement would work in practice.

Now, as leaders meet in Madrid for the U.N. Climate Change Conference, we are finally on the verge of establishing a full set of rules that will help countries reach the ambitious climate targets we set in the Paris Agreement and reduce their emissions.

But we’re not there yet.