Rep. James Sensenbrenner (WI) published a piece today in The Hill regarding the UN climate change talks in Cancun. Read his thoughts below:
To listen to United Nations delegates, Cancun was a resounding success. After the recent negotiations, U.N. Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) Chief Christiana Figueres declared that the climate talks were “back on track.” In reality, the fundamental gulf that divides developed and developing countries has only widened, and the UN process has proven unsustainable.
The fundamental disagreement is what to do with the 1997 Kyoto Protocol. The Kyoto treaty, which the U.S. Senate never ratified, required mandatory emissions cuts from developed countries and provided money and technology to encourage developing countries to act voluntarily.