The UNFCCC's 17th Conference of the Parties (COP) is
currently being held in Durban, South Africa (28 November - 9
December 2011). COP 17 follows COP 15 which was held in Copenhagen
in 2009 and COP 16 held in Cancun in 2010. The key agenda topic and
negotiations at these conferences, culminating this year in Durban,
has been a new international agreement to reduce greenhouse gas
emissions. The Kyoto Protocol's commitment period comes to an
end in 2012. Tensions continue to exist between developing
countries and small island states, which have pushed for immediate
resumption of a new agreement, the US as a historically significant
polluter (that has not ratified Kyoto) which argues that a new
agreement is not practicable before 2020, and the European Union,
which has pushed for at least a "road map" toward a new
agreement. A central issue in negotiations over a new agreement has
been the inclusion of newly significant polluters such as India and
China.
