Stories by Hilary McMahon

Last month’s international climate negotiations in Cancun showed progress on many fronts, especially in ensuring greater transparency in countries’ emissions reporting.

This paper was informed from an expert group meeting held at Columbia University, New York, on March 31, 2010.

Climate change topped the agenda when heads of states recently met in Italy. There were no fireworks, but some important progress was made.

The United States signed on to the most universally supported treaty on climate change, the 1992 UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), which was designed to protect the world from the dangerous effects of climate change. Although the U.S. did not ratify the Kyoto Protocol, the next round of negotiations on a follow-up treaty are currently underway and the U.S. must consider how to re-engage in the international climate change process.

Reducing global GHG emissions can be aided by reducing deforestation, while simultaneously helping to protect forests and promote sustainable development.