Settling for nothing

Given how much ground there is yet to cover on the issue of climate change, all parties should be embarrassed that the best that's come of the Montreal convention is an agreement to follow already-negotiated rules. But predictably, the Liberals seem entirely satisfied with that result:

The United Nations conference on climate change today adopted most of the rulebook for the Kyoto Protocol...

“With this (the meeting) has made a landmark achievement,” Environment Minister Stéphane Dion, the conference president, told delegates.

“This is a historic day; a great day for the citizens of the world,” said Pierre Pettigrew, head of the Canadian delegation. It will “breath (sic) life” into the Protocol.

The rules – known as the Marrakesh Accords, because the groundwork for them was laid in the Moroccan city in 2001 – details how measures in the Protocol are put into effect. They include how greenhouse gas emissions are measured, targets for cuts are set, and how the system for trading emissions works.

Obviously expectations had to be lowered once the U.S. put an end to any doubt as to whether they'd consider trying to accomplish anything. But the countries who have already shown their willingness to deal with the reality of climate change should be looking to do far more than keep their current position. And with Dion and Pettigrew declaring victory based merely on not losing ground, it's tough to be optimistic that they're looking to get anything more done.