THE DURBAN CLIMATE CONFERENCE AND THE ROAD AHEAD

BY DAVID NEWMAN AND SCOTT J. STONE ¹

The international climate negotiations in Durban, South Africa, concluded with new momentum toward a comprehensive agreement on climate change.  It is a remarkable turnaround from two years ago in Copenhagen, where negotiations fell far short of expectations and raised questions over whether a multilateral process could address climate change.  Now the race is on, once again, for a new treaty.

The process launched in Durban seeks to yield a legal instrument applying to all countries by the end of 2015, to enter into force in 2020.  As part of this process, major economies such as China, India, Brazil, and South Africa are expected to undertake emission mitigation commitments in the post-2020 period, along with developed countries.