Do you think the Copenhagen accord will eventually become the basis of a new legally-binding climate treaty?
“It’s too early to say, but clearly the signs are not good on the legally-binding aspect. In any case, we should get a treaty right before making it legally-binding. Kyoto was legally-binding, but it did very little to reduce emissions, and actually made some problems worse with all its complexities and its rigid divisions between developed and developing countries.
“The Maldives made huge efforts at Copenhagen to salvage the best deal possible. I felt that a total collapse would have been the worst outcome. In the event we got an Accord which is far from perfect but is something we can build on.” What are your hopes for the next major un climate conference in Mexico in November?
“My great fear is that an ambitious and binding climate deal is endlessly postponed and climate talks start to resemble trade negotiations – endless rounds of talks with little progress to show for it at the end.
“At Bali, everyone looked forward to Copenhagen. Now after Copenhagen everyone is looking forward to Mexico. We have to stop fooling ourselves that action can wait until tomorrow.” – Reuters