The world climate conference has almost 200 member states and the principle of unanimity applies.

Under these conditions, reaching a compromise that reflects more than the lowest common denominator is an almost impossible task.

After two weeks of negotiations in Glasgow, it was the countries involved in climate policy who invoked the essence of those compromises, on the one hand to express their clear displeasure with the watered-down agreements, but on the other hand to signal approval so as not to bring the whole process to collapse.

The Glasgow Climate Pact, as the final document is called, is far from what will save the world from global warming and its serious consequences.

However, no conference can do this on its own.

In view of the widely diverging interests of the states, however, the climate pact in Glasgow sends out important and encouraging signals.

For the first time, a world climate conference does not only agree on temperature targets, but on specifications for certain energy sectors.

The announcement that there is a global move away from coal and the end of inefficient subsidies for fossil fuels came against the resistance of the coal and oil states - and shows that they too are at least moving.

There are still loopholes

The states have also succeeded in adopting the so-called rule book of the 2015 Paris Climate Agreement. In emissions trading, concessions had to be made to countries such as China and India, which are allowed to continue trading some of the certificates from the old procedures. But in principle a system has emerged that promises to be functional. It prevents the double counting of climate certificates, which would have been an invitation to add value to savings targets.

There are still loopholes, not only in emissions trading, but also in the deadlines for achieving national savings targets, or in the transparency rules according to which the countries can control each other. Whoever wants to bypass the rules cannot really be prevented from doing so. As long as there is no robust sanction mechanism, which will be an issue for the next few years, only growing environmental awareness in developing and emerging countries and international pressure to prevent misconduct.

The poorest countries in the world are still dependent on the richest.

The US promise made in 2015 to provide billions for climate adaptation has broken President Trump.

Now the global south is to receive twice as much money from the USA and the EU for prevention measures as in 2019 by 2025.

But even the climate special envoy Kerry admits that he can only make firm commitments until the American mid-term elections next year.

Departure for world climate foreign policy

Europe and the USA have blocked progress to compensate for the damage that climate change has already caused. Although they admit their guilt for climate change, they see legal reasons why they do not want to pay for the damage. The more droughts and floods come that can be attributed to climate change, the more the affected states will turn this aid into a question of confidence.

Some of the agreements and initiatives that were announced in the first week of negotiations still have to prove that they keep their promises. How exactly the ban on deforestation will be controlled is not yet clear. More important than the individual initiatives, however, is likely to be the development they stand for: In the future, international alliances of the willing may be formed on contentious issues that initiate a development that is later integrated into the UN process. As early as next year there is to be a summit of the heads of state and government at the beginning of the climate conference. This is a sign of an accelerating foreign climate policy, which relies on not only pursuing national paths.

The goal of limiting global warming to 1.5 degrees has not moved any further after Glasgow, but has also not become within our grasp.

The emissions continue to rise.

According to the World Climate Report, the limit will therefore be exceeded as early as 2030.

Announcements like those of China and India that they will become climate neutral in 40 and 50 years will only help if the reduction in emissions starts now.

The climate conference achieved more than the lowest common denominator, if not much more.

What matters is what the states make of it now.