Why China and Europe should form the world’s most powerful ‘climate bloc’

It seems almost certain that US President-elect Donald Trump will walk away from the Paris climate agreement next year. In the absence of US leadership, the question is: who will step up?

Sadly this is not a new question, and history offers some important lessons. In 2001 the world faced a similar dilemma. After former vice-president Al Gore lost the 2000 election to George W. Bush, the newly inaugurated president walked away from the Kyoto Protocol, the previous global pact to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

That sent shockwaves around the world, and left nations facing a choice about what to do in the United States’ absence – something they may face again next year. The choice was made more difficult because the US withdrawal made it less likely that the Kyoto Protocol would ever come into force as a legally binding agreement.

Read the thoughts of the Vice Chancellor’s Postdoctoral Research Fellow from the University of New South Wales, Christian Downie, on The Conversation  - “Why China and Europe should form the world’s most powerful ‘climate bloc’.”

Fewer march although the problem is even more pressing

O

n a steamy afternoon in Sydney last Sunday, about 45,000 people turned up to walk the short distance from the Domain to the Opera House. I was one of them. We – together with hundreds of thousands of others across the globe – hoped to make some impression on the policy-makers gathering in Paris to discuss, yet again, the vexed issue of climate change.

Jonathan Holmes - it's about
choosing sides.

I am not a frequent participant in protest marches. In my opinion, they don't have a great record of success.  Over the weekend of February 15-16, 2003, some 10 million people worldwide marched to protest against the coming war in Iraq – including about 200,000 in Sydney, 150,000 in Melbourne, and as many as a million in London. The US president George W. Bush launched the war anyway, with the enthusiastic endorsement of the Australian and British governments.

Compared to that global demonstration, Sunday's efforts in Sydney and Friday's in Melbourne were modest – considering what's at stake, disappointingly so.

Read Jonathan Holmes piece in today’s Melbourne Age - “Climate change debate comes down to choosing sides.”