Global climate change presents one of the most significant issues facing the international community in the twenty-first century. Yet after long working to find a collaborative response, the transatlantic partners are now at odds, and environmental diplomacy at an impasse.
The challenges extend well beyond current conflicts concerning the Kyoto Protocol. How should global climate policy evolve to address long-term risks that unfold over centuries? What long-term commitments might nations undertake, and by what means meet them? How should international cooperation engage the developing countries? How might the regime and its institutions best be adapted (perhaps even remade) to employ various policy tools and mitigation strategies? In Climate Policy for the 21st Century, experts from the United States, Europe, and developing countries examine the climate negotiations' lessons and legacy, explore options for formulating long-term environmental and political objectives, and consider credible approaches to achieving them.