With the end of the Kyoto protocol in view and the on-going evolution of GHG emissions there is a lot at stake... but can we really expect a breakthrough? Probably not from prominent countries, whether in the developed or in the developing countries, as each of them seems ready to act only if the others act, and nobody seems ready to lead by example.
But maybe some answer might come from smaller countries directly threatened by climate change. For example, the President of the Maldives is particularly busy with the issue: after holding an underwater cabinet to highlight the risks for his country, he pledged to make the Maldives the first carbon-neutral country and is trying to persuade India and China that it is in their interest to commit to a real deal on the reduction of GHG emissions. A different (but compatible) stake than the apparent consensus that developed countries have the capacity and money to finance mitigation in all countries.
Quote from M Nasheed's movie The Island President "if you cannot save the Maldives today, you cannot save yourselves tomorrow".
For those willing to understand the background and stakes of Durban negotiations, an excellent summary (in French) of the actual situation available is avaiable from the Institut de l'Energie et de l'Environnement de la Francophonie http://www.iepf.org/ressources/ressources-pub-desc.php?id=442
RépondreSupprimerAnd now a little balance: not nice to write but this is a real failure
RépondreSupprimerNo new agreement on Kyoto, a temporary prolongation to fill out the gap, some kind of a legal agreement in view, but no mechanism to force countries to fulfill their obligations, Canada steps out of the current Protocol...
Solutions will have to come from another corner of societies.