It will take strong leadership from all corners of the globe to pull together political will to move forward on an international climate treaty. According to a new German Marshall Fund report from RFF’s Nigel Purvis and Andrew Stevenson, ignoring the negotiating lessons learned in Copenhagen and falling back on the status quo could be the most dangerous course of action for the United States and Europe:
To protect the climate, a fundamental shift in thinking is essential. The most effective strategy would begin focusing, country-by-country, on advancing concrete mitigation actions that further broader sustainable development objectives. The keys to success for Europe and the United States in this new approach will be offering financial support on a pay-for-performance basis and aligning international trade policy with climate objectives.
Negotiating formal climate commitments via global talks must turn into an important but lesser priority, informed by realistic expectations about the extent and pace of likely progress. Moving from climate commitments to climate action is not without risk. Developing nations have opened the door, but this approach is untested.
Read Purvis and Stevenson’s Rethinking Climate Diplomacy: New Ideas for Transatlantic Cooperation post-Copenhagen here.
