Asia Calls on Obama for New Climate Treaty

President Barack ObamaClimate change is critical to the politics of the 21st century. It’s a personal issue, a domestic policy issue and, most certainly, an international politics and foreign relations issue. It crosses political boundaries, touching on issues dear to the hearts of both parties- from humanitarian aid to business development. With the Copenhagen summit coming up in less than two months, though, the issue is taking on a definitive fervor in the international political dialogue.

Asian countries are calling for an important climate change deal to be reached, and they are looking to U.S. President Barack Obama as a crucial leader in the new deal. The current goal of the Obama administration is to cut our emissions by 17% by 2020 from 2005 levels.  

"People in developing Asia think a few countries can make all the difference. If the U.S., China and India live up to the huge leadership potential Asians see in them, Copenhagen can deliver a global deal that protects the world from runaway climate change," said Kim Carstensen, head of the WWF's Global Climate Initiative, in a statement.

In fact, more than half of the people in Asia believe Obama is the key to a new climate deal for the world- this according to a survey conducted and released by the WWF.

The survey had 6,000+ respondents found that 53% “believe an agreement on a broader U.N. climate pact at a December meeting in Copenhagen hinged on Obama.”

The leadership of Obama around this issue and around climate change in general is critical, as the Kyoto Protocol was never ratified by the U.S., meaning we have never agreed to binding emissions cuts like the other 37 industrialized countries who die.

A new deal in Copenhagen will require the support and leadership of Obama and cooperation between the U.S. and Asian countries with big populations and growing economies like China, India and Indonesia. The critical piece here, that I heard echoed by a keynote speaker at the San Francisco Going Green West conference this week, is that we come to an agreement and move forward.

The Copenhagen summit does not have to yield the most perfect climate treaty and plan ever- it doesn’t even have to be really, really good. What it needs to be is united- what it needs to be is an agreement. Yes, it needs to have teeth to do anything about anything, but there cannot be dissention among the group- especially among the large, industrialized nations.

70%+ of those in the survey said that “rich nations should lead the fight against climate change.” Yes. 68% said that developing countries need to join the effort- and this is of course true. But the crucial aspect of the Copenhagen summit and any resultant agreement is that everyone realize we are all in this together- and that everyone commit to something concrete, measurable and implementable. Obama is certainly a leader who has this on his schedule, and I can only hope that he will exert his well-known unifying influence that calls for people to cut the crap and get together to get something done.