Arguably, it was the last which has proved most destructive of the international effort. There is no point blaming the politicians for their failure. What has been singularly lacking over this issue has been any widespread popular campaign. We've had no Seattle-style protests. Instead we've had the fuel tax campaigns and a public stubbornly recalcitrant about changing its own lifestyle, unwilling to turn out for a demo on climate change.
Politicians respond to pressure.
When they have big, angry demonstrations outside their conference centres, it focuses their minds. When their mailbags are bulging with outraged voters, they respond. What's needed now is the kind of global protest movement which Jubilee 2000 developed over debt relief. As Jubilee 2000 draws to a close next month, climate change has been mooted as a possible successor issue. The potential for a comparable coalition of non-governmental agencies is there.