Collapse of WTO Talks Bad Sign for Climate Negotiations
07/31/2008
SustainableBusiness.com News
The collapse of world trade talks is a bad sign for climate change negotiations and an indication that Western nations are no longer the exclusive holders of economic and global influence, according to a Reuters report.
World Trade Organization (WTO) talks fell apart in Geneva on Tuesday, calling into question whether or not it is possible for the international community to come to an agreement by the end of 2009 on a successor treaty to the Kyoto Protocol, which aims to reduce worldwide greenhouse gas emissions.
Similar to the issues facing climate change negotiations, the Doha round of WTO negotiations broke down over a dispute betwen the U.S. and big emerging economies, like India, Brazil and China.
At the center of the extremely complex negotiations, is a push to open global markets for agricultural and manufactured goods, as well as cross-border services. But India could not come to an agreement with the U.S. over protection for its agricultural industry and last minute objections by China brought the talks to a halt.
"It will greatly undermine trust in multilateral goodwill," said Mark Halle of the International Institute for Sustainable Development. "Nobody thinks we can get a climate deal without overcoming the deep mistrust in the developing world."
"We have missed a chance to seal the first global pact of a reshaped world order," said the European Union's trade negotiator Peter Mandelson. "We would all have been winners from a Doha deal. Without one we all lose."
A separate article discusses how negotiators could attempt to move forward and pick up the pieces.