Bali, Poznan, Copenhagen: Triple Jump Towards a new Quality of Climate Policy?

Following the Bali conference, the climate negotiations are going into marathon mode. Never before have such complex negotiations had to be coped with in such a short time. But the challenge is urgent: we must succeed in stopping the rapid grow of greenhouse gas emissions within the next 10 years and then begin a rapid decrease. All this at a time in which the world economy is undergoing profound upheavals and the global economic and political balance of power is shifting. Identities are teetering, especially in the old industrial states of Europe and the USA; insecurity and fear is spreading.

The necessary turnaround in climate policy will have profound effects. Accordingly, the negotiation process is not merely an exercise for diplomats. The challenges we face can only be mastered if the negotiations are received with comprehension and criticism; if the political pressure builds to make the difficult compromises that are necessary; and if political support in society and the business world can ultimately be mobilized to ratify and implement the results.