David G. Victor

[On the urgency of climate science versus the political reaction] These two ships are sailing in opposite directions. In one direction, the science is showing that the problem is more - even more severe than we originally thought. In the other direction, we're learning that the political challenges in making big reductions are more challenging than people had imagined.

[On climate change] There's been a lot of progress kind of in bits and pieces here and there, but it's not progress that adds up to the 50, 60, 80 percent reduction in global emissions that you need to stop global warming.

[On COP24, and the Paris Agreement climate negotiations] Rulebooks are important, but it is easy to over-state their relevance because the Paris process is, by design, decentralised – it relies on countries and regions to take the lead with pledges of action and commitments to take the climate problem seriously.

[On Obama Administration fuel economy standards for vehicles] They were a big deal because vehicle travel is one of the biggest sources of greenhouse gas emissions. And they sent a long-term signal to Detroit that they need to make vehicles that produce fewer emissions. Attempting to loosen them has sent the exact opposite signal to Detroit.

[On the Trump's administration's national security arguments to boost coal production] When you want to intervene in the energy markets, national security is the nuclear option.That's what they tried to do with the reliability order, and it sounds like what they're trying to do here.

[On Donald Trump's comments on Nord Stream 2 at the UN General Assembly in September 2018] While Germany’s intake of fuel delivered by ship in the form of liquefied natural gas (LNG) is on the rise, what really matters is diversity and flexibility of supply. What he is saying is completely wrong.