It is increasingly clear that the only way to avoid a climatic catastrophe is to move quickly to negotiate an ambitious global agreement that can bring the rise in global emissions to a halt and start reducing them sometime in the next decade. This will be impossible without substantial advances in the commitments by industrialised countries and other contributions of many developing countries to this effort.

Indeed there is growing recognition within developing countries of the need for greatly expanded efforts to shift their development to a low-emissions pathway, including a chorus of voices calling for an immediate start to negotiations of new mechanisms and new responsibilities for curbing rising emissions from developing countries.

However, the poor performance of Annex I countries in fulfilling their responsibilities under the Climate Convention to “take the lead in combating climate change” has placed a major obstacle in the path of progress by developing countries. Recent reports of rising emissions in industrialised countries, over-allocation of allowances in the EU Emissions Trading Scheme, and a lack of enthusiasm about discussing ambitious post-2012 pathways and targets in anything other than the most general terms, all serve to undermine the voices in developing countries who want their countries to step up to the plate. While there have been proposals for a 30 per cent reductions target for the EU by 2020, when are they going to put these cards on the table?

Even worse is when the US, Australia and Canada shamelessly call on countries like China, India and Brazil to take on commitments, while they themselves have spurned their own responsibilities. Nothing could more discredit the idea of developing countries taking on new contributions than, for example, ex-COP President Rona Ambrose’s announcement that Canada will not even try to meet its Kyoto targets, suggesting that much poorer countries must take on commitments before Canada moves one hair-breadth forward.

ECO is left to wonder: What part of “taking the lead” do they not understand?

But we cannot despair and throw up our hands while a few irresponsible Parties would like to lead a retreat on climate protection, keeping the world hurtling towards catastrophe. Common sense must and will prevail, and all indications are that the Ambroses, Harpers and Bushes will soon be replaced by politicians who recognise the need for urgent action on climate change. Their constituents will seek real leaders who are willing to put forward bold proposals that will lead to the type of reductions that will actually be steps toward solving the climate problem.

But in the meantime, responsible political leaders and negotiators must move forward without their irresponsible counterparts to put the world on a pathway to global emissions reduction in a necessary time frame, knowing that if they lead, others will follow. And developing countries must move forward as part of this effort despite, not because of, what a few bad apples are telling them to do.