The next major climate summit will be held in Cancun, Mexico in November.  Can we expect any more success compared to Copenhagen last year?

Sorry to say it doesn’t look like it.

The final round of preparatory talks is taking place in Tainjin, China.  They appear to be attempting to create something from the ruins of Copenhagen; however the signs are not promising.

The agenda at the meeting in Tianjin is focusing on two main topics:

• Industrialised nations’ commitments under the Kyoto Protocol, including further emission reductions after 2012, when the current period ends

• Progress on a draft negotiating text for the Cancun summit

Roger Harrabin a BBC Environmental Analyst wrote ‘China says it is worried about climate change but it has warned that it can’t offer much more than it has already – that’s a promise to slow Chinese growth of energy use and greenhouse gases emissions.

With American policy held up in the Senate and the EU taking a back seat, the most significant advance from this meeting may be an incidental one.

Chinese media will be covering this conference in force. They’ll send a message to China’s local officials and industrialists who often ignore national policies on cutting energy use and pollution.’

Wow!  That’s the best we can get.

This was reinforced by Asad Rehman who is senior in the Friends of the Earth who said: “The future of the Kyoto Protocol is in doubt because of US attempts to weaken the framework already in place to tackle climate change internationally – and now other countries, including Australia and Japan, are racing to put the lowest possible voluntary pledges on the table,” he said.

He called on rich countries to meet their responsibilities outlined in the Kyoto Protocol, and “agree tough new emissions targets of at least 40% by 2020 (from 1990 levels) without offsetting”.

Mr Rehman warned: “Only action on this scale will give the UN climate summit in Cancun the momentum needed to agree strong and fair action on climate change.

“If the US is unwilling to demonstrate a similar level of ambition then they should step aside from the negotiations rather than obstruct them.”

The easy solutions cannot be implemented because of the impact it will have on us all.  Do I think Cancun will provide a good solution?  No.  However, I do believe that the major governments can’t afford to leave without some form of agreement.  So will there be an agreement to appease the environmentalist – Yes?  Will it be effective…?