Since global leaders last met to discuss climate change five years ago, climate-related disasters have cost the world almost half a trillion dollars. More than 650 million people have been affected and more than 112,000 lives have been lost. World leaders meeting at the Ban Ki-moon Summit on 23 September need to help galvanize global action.

Oxfam’s analysis of the private sector announcements and public–private initiatives that will be launched at the summit reveals that they will fall short of what is needed, offering no substitute for government inaction. This guide assesses the different initiatives against a number of tests, including whether the initiative will lead to action that goes beyond business-as-usual; whether it is transformational; whether it is pro-poor; and whether it includes transparent benchmarks for measuring impact and ensuring accountability.

See also A Sign of Things to Come? Examining four major climate-related disasters, 2010-2013, and their impacts on food security

Oxfam media briefing: The Summit that Snoozed?