Working together for a better planet: The best is the enemy of the good

“The path towards sustainable energy sources will be long and sometimes difficult. But America cannot resist this transition; we must lead it” U.S. President Barack Obama won praise abroad on Tuesday for his pledge to lead the fight against climate change, which has faltered as nations argue over who should foot the bill to lower carbon emissions.

Persistent economic weakness is sapping the ability of governments to tackle the growing threat of climate change and risks a global “perfect storm” of intertwined financial and ecological collapse, the World Economic Forum has warned.

Progress on the alleged fiscal cliff has been non-existent. Obama wants tax hikes on the wealthy, Republicans want to close loopholes. With little possibility of a breakthrough on the fiscal cliff until the "last minute", inquiring minds are likely wondering what the term "last minute" precisely means. I can help.

Nicolas Véron, 26 April 2011On 11 April, the Independent Commission on Banking in the UK, chaired by Oxford economist John Vickers, published its much-awaited interim report on reform options for British banking. This column argues that despite its critics, the policy proposals are a significant milestone not only for the UK, but for European and global banking reform.Full Article: Some progress in the banking reform debate

The 17 nations responsible for 80 percent of carbon emissions blamed for global warming have sought to unblock stalled climate negotiations but analysts expected little progress.The two-day Major Economies Forum on Energy and Climate kicked off Monday with top government envoys, including US special envoy for climate change Todd Stern.US President Barack Obama launched the meetings to facilitate climate talks in the wake of last year's disappointing UN conference in Copenhagen.