Another Climate Change Conference ends but this time we have the prospect of achieving something meaningful.
With a Democratic White House it should be no surprise that the US has quietly allowed things to happen, but there are another 12 months negotiating before the next shindig in Durban, and the Republican Senate may still be able to impose limits to any final treaty.
But progress is fine, however small.
One proposition that stands out is the notion of paying countries to halt deforestation.
This sounds great but how it would be funded and policed is quite another story. The issues of illegal logging and corrupt local authorities are two of the real barriers to rainforest preservation.
At least the need for such measures has been addressed, and this despite the obvious distractions of a luxurious Mexican beach resort.
Perhaps when future conferences are held, the venue could be somewhere more in keeping with the task at hand.
