The Shift from 'Low Politics' to 'High Politics' - Climate Change -

摘要

Many participants walked out of the Copenhagen Climate Summit in December 2009 in great dismay. After all, the final hours of the Summit had seen nearly unprecedented rancour among members of the United Nations. While a "Copenhagen Accord" had been brokered between President Obama and Brazil, South Africa, India and China (the so-called B ASICs), many other members of the United Nations felt compelled to reject it on the grounds of their lack of participation. In fact, to the shock of many, even Europe had been sidelined. Consensus amongst the mainstream press appeared to be that the United Nations process was broken, and that it was high time for a radical fix. This procedural breakdown would have a very negative impact on climate negotiations, which were now headed for a low level of ambition on the international stage.