Finding a Replacement for the Kyoto Protocol

Today, over 80 heads of state and government will meet "to forge broad agreement on a commitment to tackle climate change," ahead of this week's United Nations General Assembly meeting in New York.  This is the largest convening of world leaders ever on the subject of climate change.  The meeting hopes to find some common ground on ways to deal with climate change before the UN's December meeting in Bali - the meeting that will begin the negotiations for the successor to the Kyoto protocol which expires in 2012.  President Bush also plans to hold his own conference on the same subject this week with the G-8, China, India, Brazil and Indonesia taking part.  These plans have led some to believe that the U.S. will implement its own agenda, bypassing whatever recommendations the UN proposes.  Regardless, the urgency of producing a replacement for the Kyoto Protocol is apparent.  For more on this issue, check out this article from the FT.