Words without substance

The United Nations conference about combating climate changes has just finished. Now 70 days before the Copenhagen global summit about the same topic there is little to cheer. The world leaders arrived and talked, promises and admonitions were made but nothing concrete. One of the speeches most awaited was the one of President Obama but at the end there was disappointment. As the German newspaper Die Tageszeitung writes: “Disenchantment with Obama reigns at the UN. And understandably so, given that he had raised people’s hopes that the US would adopt policies that conformed with international laws and that the US would play an active, multilateral role in tackling global challenges and regional conflicts. But these expectations have yet to be met.” Mr Obama made clear there were dangers in the rapid climate change. He said America -which never ratified the Kyoto protocol- had some catching up to do. But as in many occasions, President Obama gave a well delivered speech without offering anything or very little that was specific. Many Americans know already that it is a little like his trademark. Good ideas well delivered but not much substance. For those foreigners who watch or listened to him it can lead to confusion and disappointment.
Now that the climate change conference in New York has finished, world leaders have move on to Pittsburgh for the G20. Wouldn’t it be nice if we were to get some solutions and not just words? We shall soon know.