COP16 has begun in Cancun

What a difference a year makes. Last year's United Nations climate change conference generated optimistic buzz for months leading up to its opening gala. On the other hand, this year's conference, which opened today in Cancun, Mexico, has been accompanied with very little enthusiasm, and even less public awareness. To say a bubble was burst last year would be an understatement.

It has not taken long for the United States' diplomatic team to establish the country's hard-nosed negotiating position at the United Nations climate change conference in Cancun, Mexico (COP16). The nation's stance is so firm, it might lead the delegation to abandon the proceedings early.

In the first day of the negotiations, the United States made it clear that it would only sign on to a "balanced package" that requires certain criteria being satisfied.

Michael Levi, an energy and environment fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations says he would not be surprised if America's demands are not met: "There are decent odds the United States will be presented with a final package that takes action on all sorts of things that developing countries want but doesn't have any clear wins for Washington. I wouldn't be surprised to see the US reject such an outcome, even if it means walking away with nothing and being attacked for that."

A new report released by Oxfam argues that despite the disconsolate atmosphere, a year of extreme weather conditions demonstrate more than ever that a binding climate agreement under the UN auspices is imperative. The report, More than ever: climate talks that work for those that need them most, http://www.oxfam.org.uk/applications/bl ... e-weather/ presents the weather events that have devastated much of the planet in the last year, and the even more harrowing costs of climate inaction.

According to the report, at least 21,000 people died due to weather-related disasters in the first nine months of this year – more than twice the number for the whole of 2009.

Oxfam's report notes some harrowing stats on the cost of inaction. Between 2010 and 2050, the World Bank estimates that developing countries will need between $70 billion and $100 billion per year to adapt to climate change. Yet every dollar that is spent on adaptation could save $60 in avoided losses. According to the World Bank, developing countries will bear 75-80% of costs of harmful climate change.