Lack of agreement on climate change helps no one

The idea that rich countries could even consider abandoning a global climate deal until 2020 borders on lunacy (Rich nations 'give up' on new climate treaty until 2020, 21 November).

Floods and droughts are already making millions of people in the developing world homeless and exposing them to starvation and disease. If developed countries persist in focusing on the plight of their own economies, while ignoring those who did the least to cause the climate crisis, they will pay the price in unprecedented levels of death, destruction and economic losses later.

Governments must continue to forge ahead by committing to stronger emission reduction targets to tackle climate change, and urgently identify new sources of finance to fill the climate fund, which will help the poorest countries to be more resilient to its effects.
Paul Cook
Director of advocacy, Tearfund

• The annual UN climate talks' progress (or not) is determined by a complex mix of influential countries' year-to-year domestic political space and aspirations to act, coupled with longer-term geopolitical considerations. The Durban talks will remain in deadlock because of both processes. First, almost no country in the world wants a Republican US president (given the likely candidates), so attacks on Obama for not going far enough on climate will be muted to avoid aiding the Republicans' chances of election.

Second, the long-term US decline and Chinese ascendancy means that China will be in a much better position to dictate the terms of any future long-term climate agreement. Given this, expect no progress in Durban.

However, a 2020 agreement is in neither developed nor developing counties' interests. Given the major climate-change impacts on China, action sooner, and not later, is in Chinese interests.

Similarly, for the US and EU, the longer they wait to seal a deal, the poorer their negotiating position compared to major developing countries. Nevertheless, perhaps 2020 will be grim reality, as governments may not act rationally: these are the same governments and technocrats who are presiding over the financial crisis, and seem wedded to the logic of short-term profit for the few, long-term catastrophe for the many.
Dr Simon Lewis
Reader, global change science, UCL

• Fossil fuel consumption continues to rise, because politicians know that their electorates will not support the policies that would stop it – such as an end to cheap air travel, and a big reduction in car use and meat consumption.

That is why we need a plan B: huge investment in geoengineering and carbon capture and storage, funded by a financial transactions tax. If we wait, it will be too late. Cameron needs to talk to the leaders of the other major economies now.
Richard Mountford
Hildenborough, Kent

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