When India's Environment Minister declared definitively Thursday that his country would not be signing any binding agreements at the upcoming Copenhagen talks, it was just the most recent in a series of blows to those who harbored hopes of a wide-ranging and comprehensive deal. A non-inclusive list would include the dramatic Climategate, the dampening of hope by President Obama, and the humorously ironic recent declaration by Denmark's own Parliamentary Speaker that climate change may yet be a scientific creation rather than a scientific proof.
While this will be seen as a disaster by some and a positive development by others, both sides of the contentious debate would agree that it underscores how difficult it is to develop binding international agreements. This is particularly true with topics as controversial as climate change, and even truer with proposals which include the slowdown of economic growth as a solution to problems.
What may be most interesting going forward is observing how organizers of the talks structure meetings now. In other words, will there still be a push for a dramatic and binding deal, or will expectations be dampened to match the rhetoric of many of the world's powers? It remains to be seen. However, that it will continue to be a hot topic as talks rapidly approach is a certainty.
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