This week, various energy and environment ministers met in London as part of the G8 effort to gather consensus on climate policy.

The consensus which seems to be evolving is that 1) some EU countries, including the UK, are failing to meet their existing targets under Kyoto and 2) poor countries do not want to negotiate to reduce binding emissions targets for themselves after 2012, when the Kyoto Protocol ends. Negotiations for post-2012 were due to take place at COP-11 of the Framework Convention on Climate Change next month in Montreal.

It is worth remembering that Article 3.3 of the Framework Convention obliges its signatories (including the USA) to undertake "cost-effective" policies and measures to cope with climate change. Emissions controls are probably the least cost-effective way to address climate change.

I have an article in the Bangkok Post today which argues that it is climate, not climate change, which poses the most risk to the world's poorest people, and that economic development is the most effective way to reduce their vulnerability to climate.