The global community is currently engaged in negotiations to agree a successor to the Kyoto protocol, which expires in 2012.
US President Barack Obama challenged world leaders at last month's UN gathering in New York to overcome difficulties and reach a global accord on climate change. He stated, "We cannot meet this challenge unless all the largest emitters of greenhouse gas pollution act together." For the first time, the Chinese President, Hu Jintao addressed criticism that the largest developing countries were not doing enough to contribute to the pact by pledging mandatory national targets to reduce energy intensity and the discharge of major pollutants. He was referring to new targets that will reduce carbon output per unit of production in China.
However, even with bursts of encouraging rhetoric from leaders and some commitments to act, notably from China, there was no hiding the fact that talks towards securing a new global pact on cutting emissions at a summit in Copenhagen this December are in deep trouble. Although President Hu's promise to "integrate actions on climate change in its economic and social development plan" is a major shift by the Chinese government, Mr Hu offered fewer numerical specifics than some would have liked.
Moreover, a rift has opened up among developed nations, with the EU increasingly frustrated that the US, which is preoccupied with health reform, has yet to adopt legislation enshrining the emissions cuts it will need to have in place to make a new treaty work.
Mr Obama's proposals for a cap-and-trade system to effect cuts in the US have been adopted by the House of Representatives, but face long delays in the Senate. Without Senate action, it will be hard for Mr Obama to sign any treaty in December. He said, "It is work that will not be easy. As we head towards Copenhagen, there should be no illusions that the hardest part of our journey is in front of us. All of us will face doubts and difficulties in our own capitals as we try to reach a lasting solution to the climate challenge."
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