The UN climate conference in Buenos Aires started on a jubilant note: On 18 November 2004, Russia had finally completed its ratification of the Kyoto Protocol. Russia's ratification was the last one needed for the Protocol to enter into force. International climate policy has thus entered a new era: For the first time, industrialised countries are legally committed to reducing their overall greenhouse gas emissions.
Nonetheless, the conference very quickly moved back into its familiar habit of struggling over technical details and worrying about the future of climate policy. The US once again underlined its obstructionist attitude, refusing to entertain discussions about the future of the climate regime.
The article by Hermann E. Ott, Bernd Brouns, Wolfgang Sterk and Bettina Wittneben analyses the results of the conference and concludes with an outlook on international climate policy in the years to come.