Climate response made in the USA – The Drum (Australian Broadcasting Corporation).
The climate talks in Peru are leading to the possibility that the post-2020 response will be “made in the USA”. Meanwhile, Australia could be doing more to help, writes Erwin Jackson.
Will the post-2020 climate change framework be “made in the USA”? This is the question many in Lima, Peru, are pondering at the end of the first week of the climate talks.
There is little doubt that US president Barack Obama has made next year’s Paris agreement the top diplomatic priority for the US, and that this has impacted on the process – both inside and outside. The US, along with Algeria, have now been confirmed as the new co-chairs that will guide the process into Paris, where the next international climate change agreement will be finalised.
Some examples of the impact of the change in posture of the US are obvious. The US-China announcement on emissions targets last month is the obvious one. This was not a one-sided deal. China takes the issue very seriously. But the agreement would not have happened if president Obama had not prioritised climate change in high level diplomatic engagement in recent times.
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