Climate Change

The U.S. and Europe are poorly positioned compared to China to engage in diplomacy to bridge the Middle East’s security divides. But there is a diplomatic initiative they could pursue that would reassert their relevance and address a key issue that is in desperate need of attention in the region: the threat of climate change.

The U.N.’s annual climate change conferences continue to play a key role in tackling the climate crisis. Not only do the COPs bring together stakeholders with an interest in reining in global warming, they also push the climate crisis to the very top of the world’s news agenda. The problem is, they are no longer fit for purpose.

The European Union’s member states are locked in some heated debates this week about Europe’s energy future. The discussions involve about 10 different pieces of legislation, but they center on one fundamental question: Should the EU be technologically neutral about how it meets its climate targets?