The Bonn COP23 (Climate Change Summit) which closed shop last Saturday 18 Nov.2017 ending the hard and fruitful debates and discussions that started on the Sixth  of this month, have been full of challenges and opportunities.
The face major challenge that faced the COP23 was the announcement of the withdrawal of the US from the Paris 2015 Climate Change Agreement few months ago by the US President Donald Tramp. This decision have a very negative impact because the US represent a major source of the world pollution, financing of climate change adaptation projects and more importantly the innovations to reduce world  gas emissions and pollution.
This grave challenge was addressed by two major initiatives.
The first came from the US business and civil society and some states governors. They all rejected President Tramp decision and affirmed that they will work with and support the implementation of the Paris 2015 Agreement each on his sphere of interests. What makes this initiative valuable is the participation of some major US international companies.
The second response came from the French president Emanuel Macron whose country hosted the signing of the Paris Agreement, that he is calling for a Summit to be convened in Paris next December to discuss how to close any funding gaps that may result  from the withdrawal of the US.
On the other hand, some progress have been made in the reeducation in the use of coal for electricity generation but with the ostentation of some major users there is still a long road and hard bargaining and negations needed to bring these polluters on board. But a first step in this road has been taken and that in itself is a positive sign.
The challenge that has not been fully meet was the funding time table. Developing countries have demanded long term commitment so that they can plan their adaptation programs. But developed countries response is that constitutionally they are bound by early budgest that should be approved by their respective parliaments and legislative assemblies. Some kind of compromises was made and it is expected that the issue will be discussed more fully one more time in the coming Paris December Summit.