Big money to respond to climate change is key to the United Nations talks underway in Azerbaijan. Vulnerable nations say they need as much as $1.3 trillion to cope with damage they've already suffered from extreme weather events, and to adapt to a warming planet. Wealthy nations haven't been willing to pay nearly that much. One way they're talking about bridging the big gap is through leverage. That's the idea that big loans can attract other loans and private spending to add up quickly. Smaller nations are skeptical of any plan that depends heavily on loans. Many are already drowning in debt and fear even more.
