A major challenge for the international response to climate change is the allocation of responsibility between industrialized and developing countries for remediation and mitigation. While industrialized countries like the United States have a history of emitting greenhouse gases and are considered responsible for a bulk of historical climate change, developing countries like China presently emit greenhouse gases at a greater rate and share an important role in the international response. There exists concern about climate change mitigation in developing countries, because it potentially stalls economic development. Industrialized nations, however, do not feel that they should bear most of the burden for climate change, and argue that developing countries have access to more sustainable technology. Disagreements over what responsibilities certain nations should bear has been a setback for cooperative international efforts to mitigate climate change.

Coastal populations face the loss of habitable land because of a rise in sea levels linked to climate change, and has led to arguments for refugee status due to the potential loss of human settlement to the sea. A study from research group Climate Central projects that over 12 million people and hundreds of billions of dollars in real property are at risk from the effects of rising sea levels in the coming decades. The Pacific island nations of Kiribati and Fiji already feel the effects of rising sea levels, and have taken steps to prepare for the loss of habitable land by purchasing land at higher elevations and relocating individuals from low-lying areas to more secure parts inland. The UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) issued a warning that rising sea levels could displace entire populations and complicate international relations.

Climate change poses a threat to global food and water supplies, with an increasing global population exacerbating the reduction of available supplies. Changing temperature and weather patterns has led to reduced crop yields in recent years. Decreased rainfall and rising sea levels place freshwater supplies at risk, particularly those found on island nations. A 2012 study from the World Bank revealed that India’s growing population is at risk from decreased food and water supplies, and that climate change has directly impacted these shortages due to increased droughts and changing weather patterns. Food and water shortages and related risks of disease and conflict over resources led to the Pentagon publishing a report in October 2014 concluding that the cumulative effects of climate change pose a serious security risk. Furthermore, the growing population and its demand for natural resources has combined with the effects of climate change poses a loss of global biodiversity by threatening the survival of many plant and wildlife species.