It has become something of a regular pilgrimage for me to attend the United Nations annual climate change summit. As usual, this is an incredible spectacle of more than 20,000 people from 194 nations come together to try and reach agreement on how to reduce global greenhouse gas (GHGs) emissions and avert irreversible climate change.
My first summit was in 1997 in Japan's historic city of Kyoto at which an initial international treaty was agreed. Sadly the United States, which is the world's single largest emitter of GHGs, subsequently failed to have the agreement ratified by Congress. Without U.S. participation the deal has been relatively ineffective, and anyway, the so-called Kyoto Protocol is due to expire in 2012. So this gathering is particularly critical, especially after the dissapointing breakdown of last year's talks in Copenhagen.
This has increasingly become a debate between rich and poor nations. There is pressure on the developed countries, who are the biggest polluters, to reduce their use of fossil fuels, which are the main cause of the problem. Meanwhile, the poorer countries are demanding financial compensation in return for curbing their emissions. The science seems as complicated as the problem.
Your existence in the world makes this event a very differant experience for me. Climate change is an issue about the future. For years now, those like me who have campaigned for meaningful steps to be taken to mitigate climate change have argued that this must be done for the sake of our grandchildren. We have long argued that it our responsiblity to protect our precious planet so that future generations will not suffer.
My dear Yael, you represent the true inspiration for finding the solution to climate change. While it's unlikely that there will be any agreement reached here in Cancun this week, the political process will continue. I remain optimistic that the world will come together to fix the problem, for the benefit of you and future generations.
Grandpa Jonathan
Cancun, Mexico
