---
title: "Why Inking a Global Climate Deal Is Such a Tricky Business"
description: "It doesn’t help that only 18 percent of Chinese think climate change is a very serious problem."
date: "2015-11-30"
authors:
  - name: "Bruce Stokes"
    job_title: "Former Director, Global Economic Attitudes"
    link: "https://www.pewresearch.org/staff/bruce-stokes/"
url: "https://www.pewresearch.org/global/2015/11/30/why-inking-a-global-climate-deal-is-such-a-tricky-business/"
---

# Why Inking a Global Climate Deal Is Such a Tricky Business

*Special to [Foreign Policy](https://foreignpolicy.com/2015/11/30/why-inking-a-global-climate-deal-is-such-a-tricky-business-paris-un-conference/)*

At a time when global publics are distracted by concerns about terrorism, in a city still reeling from the carnage of terrorism, negotiators from over 190 nations have gathered in Paris for the 21st United Nations-led conference on climate change. Their avowed goal is an international agreement limiting greenhouse gas emissions. Whatever the distraction of recent terrorist events, a Pew Research Center [survey](https://www.pewresearch.org/global/2015/11/05/global-concern-about-climate-change-broad-support-for-limiting-emissions/) conducted this year finds that publics around the world overwhelmingly see climate change as a problem and that many believe it is a very serious one. Moreover, a median of nearly eight in 10 people across the 40 countries surveyed say they support their government signing a deal in Paris to curtail greenhouse gas emissions.

*Read more at [Foreign Policy](https://foreignpolicy.com/2015/11/30/why-inking-a-global-climate-deal-is-such-a-tricky-business-paris-un-conference/)*