Climate Trading: The Case for the "Climate Protection Authority" (Features‪)‬

Upon taking office, the new US president will immediately face major decisions on domestic and international climate policy. The United States and the rest of the international community have set December 2009 as the deadline for concluding a new global climate agreement. The controversial 1997 Kyoto Protocol expires in 2012, and new international arrangements are urgently needed. This new round of climate negotiations provides a real chance to ensure strong, equitable action by all major economies, including the United States, China, and India, which in the past have resisted obligations to mitigate their greenhouse gas emissions. Simultaneously, the US Congress is likely to take up major legislation to dramatically reduce US emissions--an objective each of the leading presidential candidate supports. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]