Climate Change - borrowing an example from another Doha

COP 18 - Borrowing an example from another Doha

Mauricio López Dardaine

When the perfect solution is hard to pin down, at least when it cannot be expected to be in place before other catastrophes occur, it doesn’t seem fair that those countries committed to do what is necessary, are held back by those who put their short term interests ahead of any other concern.

One is led to think, in parallel, of the WTO Doha initiative and its failure, probably owing to similar reasons: short term interests in the forefront of priorities and a remarkable lack of international leadership. But ever since the days of the Phoenicians, trade has made the world go round, so those nations bent on progress and development have sought new forms of trade agreements: bi-lateral and pluri-lateral instead of the multi-lateral solution. Today one may think of the Trans-Pacific Association as the most vital demonstration of what countries seeking progress are prepared to do.

However, one cannot be prevented from asking oneself whether in the absence of clear-cut efforts on behalf of giving our Planet and Climate Change redressing a fair chance, there is any practical sense in further developing trade?

Because we are bound to find ourselves facing a scenario with developed international trade within a planet so devastated than less and less customers will be available.

Will ministers gathered today at Doha’s COP 18 feel actually between the devil and the deep blue sea-as in fact they are- or will we need to wait that massive drought and  famine occur before they have to meet for an extraordinary non-scheduled COP?

The human mind is a curious kind of instrument. Thus we gather that we shall still have to wait before we see the likes of a true multilateral Climate Agreement.

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