Fantasy climate football: A footy fan's guide to the Paris summit

The Paris climate talks are a lot like the Premier League - except that several teams can win and the world can still lose. So, which team would your country be?

The aim of the political game in the Paris climate summit is to reduce global emissions while furthering one's own interests at the expense of everyone else. There are around 20 negotiating groups, and the rules, which have been set by the rich countries, are bendable.

But just as players move between clubs in the English Premier League, so countries at the UN climate talks switch between negotiating groups and make secret alliances. They can also belong to several groups at the same time. The game is played in two halves - the first week when the diplomats talk, the second when the politicians arrive (although not the world leaders who are only required for the anthems at the start of the match). As in football, money is no object for some teams.