Annan and others should stop talking about the national interest as if it were an insurmountable barrier to cooperation. By thinking differently about the national interest and how different issues could be combined to produce win-win outcomes for all nations, we could expect more decisive action, not just on climate change, but on a whole range of global issues, thus transforming national self-interest into a powerful driver for global solutions.
As most will have seen from various media reports, delegates to COP 19 in Warsaw continued negotiating the outcome until late Saturday night. The key sticking points were "loss and damage" and the shape of national actions that would ultimately form the foundation of the 2015 deal (for implementation post 2020)...
Warsaw revealed some serious divisions amongst groups of countries, and the language used became ever more heated. Indeed, the negotiations may well have raised the curtain on what will be some very difficult discussions when countries come forward with their 'contributions' from the end of next year.
Over the first week of the UN climate change negotiations in Poland we have seen the alarming results of studies showing increased decline of tropical forests. It is clear from newly available data from satellite monitoring stations that there are now growing areas being deforested as a result of illegal logging, agriculture and mining.
The global community simply cannot keep ignoring the desperate, passionate cries of people such as Naderev Saño. Millions around the world are already suffering greatly from the impacts of our fast changing climate and scientists keep telling us that such damage and disruption will only intensify in the years and decades ahead.
The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) released last Friday the most comprehensive ever study on global warming. The landmark report, prepared by more than 200 scientists over two years, concludes that global temperatures could rise by up to 4.8 Celsius (8.6 Fahrenheit) by the end of this century compared to pre-industrial levels, but could potentially still be held to 0.3 C (0.5 F) with deep, speedy cuts in emissions.