Defining a Politically Feasible Path for Future Climate Negotiations

In December 2000, the United States (US) left the Kyoto Protocol on the grounds that it contained a number of fatal flaws (Chen 2003; Springer 2003; Springer and Varilek 2004). ¹ To many, this decision was just one of the manifestations of an enduring conflict between the US and the European Union (EU) (see e.g. Christiansen 2003, Torvanger et al. 2004, Tjernshaugen 2005). This chapter seeks to infer the main lessons of this conflict so that the facilitation measures needed to avoid a similar situation in future climate negotiations can be shaped.