Bonn: Passing The "Trump Test" - i.e. Moving On Without The United States (Nichols Stern)
EDIT
The COP23 talks discussing crucial issues related to climate change began in the former West German capital, Bonn, last week and will finish on Friday. Ministers began arriving on Wednesday for the final “high-level segment” of the talks, which are expected to include toughening pledges to cut greenhouse gas emissions made at the historic Paris conference in 2015.
Trump has begun the process of US withdrawal from the Paris agreement, which will take several years, but in the meantime the US will continue to participate in the talks. So far, the US has taken little part in discussions, but this could change in the final days.
“Trump could be passive and do very little, or could be obstructive. I suspect the former, though not with great confidence,” said Stern. “The officials [sent by the US to Bonn] are a long way down the pecking order, which really suggests passive disengagement rather than an aggressive blocking strategy. But there is no predicting what the Trump administration will do.”
Stern said this was why other major countries bore a greater responsibility for making progress without the White House. He pointed to China and India, which he expected to play a strong role in furthering the Paris agreement.
“We should recognise that these countries are moving very quickly [on greenhouse gases],” he said. “My view is that [emissions from] China will peak by 2030. In India, the price of solar power has fallen to three cents a kilowatt hour [on a par with coal]. That is remarkable. The dial is really turning up in India now, which is really important.”
EDIT
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2017/nov/16/nicholas-stern-ministers-must-pass-trump-test-at-bonn-climate-talks
