经济学人下载:联合国气候会谈

That European countries, alongside Asia’s rising giants, have emerged as the main hinge of an important international process must please them. Yet whatever promise the BASIC countries offer for a post-2018 dispensation will be modest. And even the most ardent European believers in the sort of “top-down”, legally binding mitigation effort that Kyoto represents are belatedly realising that America and probably China would not join such a scheme. In that case, the world’s climate problem would remain unsolved.

正在崛起的亚洲大国，作为一项重要国际进程的主角地位日益彰显。因而欧洲国家也需要考虑他们的意见。然而对2018年后免除不执行权利一项，不管“基础四国”给出什么承诺，都不会有太大价值。积极参与议定书的欧洲国家，曾以为《京都议定书》具有自上而下的法律约束力的，如今连他们也都意识到，美国甚至可能中国都不会参与此项议程。如果真是这样，那么世界气候问题将持续得不到解决。

And moreover, if the EU can be persuaded to undertake a second commitment under Kyoto, it is likely to accept a more modest target than it has already offered. It has promised a 20% curb in its emissions by 2020—or 30% if America and others show comparable progress. In making a legal commitment, the EU would perhaps enter the lower figure, perhaps leaving the higher one to be forgotten. Hot air aplenty. Pity about the carbon.

而且，如果能够说服欧盟在《京都议定书》框架下再次做出减排承诺，欧盟将有可能只会接受一个较之前更小的目标。欧盟已保证，到2020年将它的温室气体排量降低20%。如果美国和其他国家减排量相应增加，欧盟还可以提高到30%。在承担减排义务方面，欧盟有可能会承担更低的减排量，而更高的减排量弃之不理。温室气体增多，碳已然成为人们心头大患！！