Diplomats have barely started arriving in Durban, South Africa for the annual UN climate talks, but their deliberations are already at an impasse. Two years after the debacle in Copenhagen, they are still fighting over a fundamental question: should their central goal be a legally binding climate treaty? Most major powers, including the US and China, appear sceptical, but most European leaders remain enthusiastic. They have been demanding that others agree at this year's talks to conclude a legally binding treaty by some set future deadline – perhaps in 2015 or 2016 – as a condition for moving forward on other fronts.This drive is well intentioned – European leaders appear to believe that a global treaty is essential to address climate change effectively – but it is ultimately misguided. By insisting on a global climate treaty, Europe may be making genuine climate progress more difficult.
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