The road forward from COP 17

The 17th Conference of the Parties (COP17) of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change in Durban, South Africa, has led to the creation of a road map for the renewal of the Kyoto Protocol with a binding legal framework, the definition of the structure of the Green Climate Fund and a commitment not to increase the average temperature of the Earth by more than two degrees centigrade.

The countries of Latin America and the Caribbean played an important role in the process of discussing and bringing to the forefront the effects of climate change on the future of their peoples and the environment. This Newsletter presents various views and reflections about the results obtained in the Durban conference, from the perspective of environmental policy administrators and planners in Latin America, the European Commission, civil society organisations and the media.

The variety of views included in this issue of the Newsletter reflects that the debate on the actions to be taken by countries in the face of climate change is not only of interest to political decision makers, but also to other actors in society.