With political will, Cancun can succeed

By 2050, there would well be more than 9 billion people on Earth. To accommodate this jump in population we have no choice but to complete the transition to a low-carbon global economy. That is what is at stake at international negotiations on climate change, and that is why the United Nations climate conference in Cancun, Mexico, is important.

An ambitious and legally binding framework for global climate action is needed. The European Union will be ready to agree to this at the Nov 29-Dec 10 Cancun conference. Regrettably, It seems a number of other major economies are not.

Cancun will therefore be only a stepping stone. Nonetheless, the conference can still mark a significant step toward a legally binding global climate deal. It can - and must - deliver progress by agreeing to a politically balanced package of decisions on a number of substantial issues that lead to immediate climate action on the ground.