Poland

Poznan Conference

The UN conference on climate change is being held this year in Poznan, Poland. The official title is the 14th UN Framework Convention on Climate Change. It is the fourth meeting of the signers of the Kyoto Protocol. The main goal of this conference is to have the signers to agree to cut back emissions further than initially agreed upon, especially because many states have not adhered to the protocol. They now want rich states to cut greenhouse gas emissions by 25% to 40% by 2020, from the 1990 levels.

The United States has been the greatest violator of the protocol. The Bush administration has chosen to disregard the fact that it signed the protocol and to continue emitting harmful greenhouse gases. It currently produces about 35% of harmful emissions. The United States has sent representatives to Poznan, but still has not ratified the protocol. The President-elect Barack Obama has assured other states that he will do more to make sure the United States will lead the world in climate control changes. Currently the United States will not agree, under the current administration, and there is nobody that can discipline it for violating the protocol. Russia has announced numerous projects to decrease greenhouse gas emissions in order to show that it is more advanced than the United States when it comes to climate control. It is debatable whether or not Russia’s environmentally friendly power tactic will work on the current administration. The conference goes on until 12 December. Time can only reveal what the United States will do. Will it give in to international pressure?

Realist

http://www.radionetherlands.nl/currentaffairs/globaldevelopment/081202-poznan-climate-obama

http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2008-12/03/content_10452234.htm

December 5, 2008 at 11:18 am