Even president Obama admitted that Republican victory in midterm elections has seriously undermined prospects for comprehensive legislation to tackle climate change, and this will almost certainly have very negative effect in international climate change talks in Cancun which are only couple of weeks away.
Fears about reaching positive outcome in agreeing new international climate deal were further strengthened by the statement coming from Jos Delbeke, director general of the European Commission's climate team who said "We see the U.S. disappearing as a partner in achieving meaningful climate action."
Many people were convinced that US climate change politics will significantly change after Obama's election in 2008, but U.S. election results have pretty much crushed the remaining optimism for a significant result at the next climate talks in Cancun, Mexico, from November 29-December 10.
The entire cap and trade scheme, which should have been the US answer to cut carbon emissions, now looks to be almost forgotten among US politicans, and this will no doubt play significant role in international climate change negotiations because many countries want to see US leading the way in tackling the climate change. At this point US looks anything but a leader in tackling climate change.
Many countries also fear that U.S. reluctance to cut greenhouse gas emissions may also hit plans to raise a promised $100 billion a year by 2020 to help developing nations adapt to climate change because this plan significantly hinges on curbs on emissions to push up the price of carbon.
From the current point of view it looks like Cancun climate change conference will yet again be all about that well known scenario which can be described as "lot of talks and lot of promises, and no action at all".
The EU is doing their part to tackle climate change, heck even China is doing more than US to tackle climate change. So much about the world's leading nation.
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