International trade has become one of the pillars of the global economic system; an overlap between climate change policies and the multi-lateral trading system administered by the World Trade Organization (WTO) therefore seems inevitable. International trade affects climate change as it potentially increases economic activity that may in turn lead to increased greenhouse gas emissions.

The only serious and viable approach for engaging developing countries in global efforts to tame global warming is one that aligns with their own core interests. Those interests are complex, but in general these countries put a high priority on economic development and energy security.

Climate change is definitely the biggest story of the 21st century. But its sheer complexity and urgency is defeating us. For the past 19 years-the first intergovernmental negotiations took place in Washington DC, USA in early 1991-the world has been arguing about what it knows but doesn't accept.

The curtain came down on the 15th Conference of Parties (CoP-15) to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) in Copenhagen on 19 December 2009, almost a full day beyond its scheduled closure. The conference had been preceded and accompanied by worldwide hype and exaggerated expectations, fuelled by governments and civil society groups alike.