Last week over 10,000 people from more than 160 countries gathered in the old industrial town of Poznan, Poland to try to advance talks for a global treaty on climate change. But at the UN climate change conference, which ended in the wee hours of the morning Saturday, negotiators didn’t shown the urgency and political will needed to fight climate change and keep millions of people safe.

Global warming threatens the lives and livelihoods of millions – if not billions – of people. The poorest, most vulnerable communities are being affected directly – first and worst – despite being least responsible for the crisis.

Already, the impacts of climate change are making their mark. In Bangladesh, increased floods are washing away homes and crops, while changing weather patterns in Uganda mean farmers are gambling with to sow seeds, risking having them wash away in torrential rains or dry up in drought. And it’s only going to get worse. Across Africa, 75 million to 250 million people could face severe water shortages by 2020. Action is needed now.

Developed countries, those most responsible for climate change, arrived in Poland empty-handed and unwilling to engage in constructive discussions to move further towards a global deal in Copenhagen next December. Poor countries put forward important proposals, including Mexico’s bold announcement of plans to halve its emissions by 2050. But the EU, Australia and others seemed asleep at the wheel.

Some important progress on the Adaptation Fund, which was created to help vulnerable communities adapt to climate change, was achieved, but this is only a small part of the overall solution that poor people require.

A deal in Copenhagen next December is still possible, and more urgent and necessary than ever. In the coming year, developed countries must stop floundering and demonstrate commitment and leadership at the highest levels. Let’s tell them to get busy soon!

-Laura Rusu, Oxfam America