The reduction of CO2 emissions be possible? / Robert Douglas Cairns, Professor, McGill University

November 12, 2019

Questions: 1/ Do you think that the larger polluters will one day make possible an agreement aimed at the reduction of CO2 emissions? 2/ Do you believe that there is little hope that the polluting countries will reduce much more than they pollute ? How do you explain your pessimism? 3/ Will arguments developed by some countries, like India, promote a conclusion of such an agreement? 4/ Did Conferences of the Parties (COP) contribute to bringing closer different States approches on climate change ?

Speakers

RELATED CONTENT

  • May 30, 2025
    In this podcast, Ms. Bamise Olanrewaju, Director of the Energy Infrastructure Cluster in Nigeria Energy Forum, explores the strategic role of natural gas in advancing development across t ...
  • Authors
    Loubna Eddallal
    May 29, 2025
    Nigeria, long regarded as Africa’s oil powerhouse, is entering a new energy chapter, driven by the country’s strategic shift towards becoming the leading gas economy in the continent. With proven reserves exceeding 210 trillion cubic feet, Nigeria is set to emerge as Africa’s foremost gas producer and exporter. The government’s Decade of Gas Initiative, launched in 2021 by President Muhammadu Bihari, constitutes the official framework for this transition, which aims to diversify the ...
  • May 27, 2025
    Cette étude est consacrée à la désalinisation de l’eau de mer, aux barrages et aux autoroutes de l’eau au Maroc, solutions innovantes privilégiées par Sa Majesté le roi Mohammed VI, notamment dans son discours du 29 juillet 2024 marquant le 25ème anniversaire de son accession au Trône. Discours dans lequel le Souverain rappelait que l’un des défis majeurs auquel le Royaume était confronté était celui d’un stress hydrique structurel et récurrent.L’analyse de 26 Stations de ...
  • Authors
    May 12, 2025
    On April 17, 2025, British oil and gas giant BP announced the export of the first cargo of liquefied natural gas (LNG) from offshore resources shared by Senegal and Mauritania. For the first time in their history, both countries have become LNG exporters. This milestone follows a series of pivotal developments in the region’s hydrocarbon sector. In late December 2024, offshore gas production began. By February 2025, LNG production had commenced. Earlier still, in June 2024, Senegal ...
  • Authors
    May 6, 2025
    Le 17 avril 2025, le géant britannique BP a annoncé qu’une première cargaison de gaz naturel liquéfié (GNL) avait été exportée à partir de ressources gazières exploitées au large du Sénégal et de la Mauritanie. Ces deux pays sont devenus, pour la première fois dans leur histoire, des exportateurs de GNL. Précédemment, il y avait eu trois autres dates particulièrement marquantes dans la valorisation des hydrocarbures dans cette zone. Fin décembre 2024, la production de gaz naturel of ...
  • May 2, 2025
    This Opinion was originally published in Project Syndicate As the US-China rivalry intensifies, both powers are courting mineral-rich African countries in an effort to secure critical raw materials. Translating Africa's vast natural-resource wealth into lasting development requires an infrastructure-led strategy that delivers long-term value for local communities. ...
  • April 22, 2025
    في ظل التحديات المناخية المتزايدة، تبرز مقاربة "نكسوس" التي تربط بين الماء والطاقة والغذاء كخيار استراتيجي لا مفر منه. ورغم أهميتها، ما تزال مقيدَة في المغرب بعوائق بنيوية ومؤسساتية تحول دون تفعيلها الفعلي. كيف يمكن تجاوز هذه الإشكاليات؟ وما هي سبل إشراك القطاع الخاص لبناء شراكات تدعم ا...
  • Authors
    Michael Terungwa David
    April 22, 2025
    The author of this opinion, David Michael Terungwa, is a 2017 alumnus of the Atlantic Dialogues Emerging Leaders Program. As the world commemorates Earth Day 2025 under the theme "Planet vs. Plastics," it is a timely moment to turn our attention to one of the planet’s most overlooked heroes: the soil. Often hidden beneath our feet and largely absent from climate conversations, soil plays a vital role in sustaining life, supporting biodiversity, and buffering the impacts o ...
  • Authors
    April 16, 2025
    The second Trump administration’s reversal of federal climate policy is reshaping the U.S. energy and industrial landscape, with significant implications for macroeconomic performance, clean technology competitiveness, and global climate cooperation. While the deregulatory shift and emphasis on fossil-fuel production may generate short-term output gains in selected sectors, the long-term structural transformation necessary for sustained growth in an increasingly low-carbon global ec ...
  • April 14, 2025
    This paper (see pages: 165-198), included in the book 'Green intersections: the global embedding of climate change in policy' was originally published on bruegel.org   The demand for energy in Africa is growing rapidly, driven by population growth, urbanisation and industrialisation. Nevertheless, over 600 million Africans still lack access to electricity, which represents a significant energy gap for the continent. At the same time, Africa is endowed with vast renewable ...