Publication

When Barack Obama was elected the next president of the United States on November 4, 2008, hopes ran high that this would reinvigorate the international climate negotiations. During his campaign, he had already announced his intention to reduce US greenhouse gas emissions 80 percent by 2050, increase the share of renewable energies to 25 percent of total energy consumption by 2025, and set up a nationwide emissions trading system. It looked then as if 2009 would be a banner for year for climate protection.