The conference in Rio de Janeiro came amidst a host of global U.N. conferences this decade. As if to underscore the difficult task at hand, the world's leading industrialized nations, meeting as the Summit of the Eight in Denver over the weekend, failed to agree on targets on global warming and deforestation. We must stop the degradation of our climate. The future of the planet is at stake. But U.N. officials still think the New York meeting is a good idea.
Every nation wants to improve the environment, but paying for it is another matter.
The developing world says that despite promises, contributions from industrialized countries to help clean up the environment and spur economic growth have diminished. So the climate at the conference is likely to be hot, especially when delegates argue about a climate treaty. And much of the dialogue will be typically heavy-duty international treaty jargon. As for the star factor, Cuban President Fidel Castro dropped plans to attend. Reuters contributed to this report.