While Europe sets the pace on climate change commitments, confirming a target for emissions reduction by 2020 and challenging the world to do the same, it may be the rest of the world is now deciding to run a different race.
Europe’s call for the world to step up to its level of ambitious mid-term cuts to greenhouse gas emissions is looking isolated. By the time the end of 2009 rolls and the deadline for a new global agreement, the shape of international climate policy to cover the next two decades may be looking very different.