The Guardian view on Cop31: the green transition must not be derailed | Editorial

Renewed commitments to electrification and climate science are vital outcomes from the latest round of UN talks

The Cop31 climate talks have acquired something their delegates scarcely expected: a little political breathing space. The comeback by Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva in the second round of Brazil's presidential race was important for many reasons. Victory for his opponent, Flavio Bolsonaro, would have marked a dangerous retreat from democracy. But Mr Bolsonaro's commitment to environmental deregulation would also have spelled disaster for the Amazon, making Lula's re-election a big win for the climate. Similarly, success by Democrats in the US midterms means that DonaldTrump's destructive grip has been loosened. Ifthey win back the White House in 2028, the US should rejoin the UN process in time for Cop34.

While the diplomatic picture is less bleak than it might have been, the threat level remains high and rising. Antonio Guterres used his last Cop as UN secretary general to issue a pithy warning that it's make or bake time". With the latest analysis pointing toheating of 2.7C by the end of the century - far beyondthe 1.5C target in the Paris agreement -governments face another crunch moment: by pivoting away from fossil fuels, they can still avert themost dangerous impacts. Yet the UK's AndyBurnham was the only G7 leader to make the tripto Turkey; theFrench and German leaders chose toattendan EUsummit in Dublin instead.