The just-concluded deal establishes a bridge between the old climate regime and a new, as-yet-undefined one. By extending the Kyoto Protocol – which limits some developed countries’ greenhouse-gas emissions – for another eight years, the Doha agreement preserves the vital framework of international law and retains hard-won accounting rules for emissions allowances and trading between countries.
刚刚结束的谈判在旧气候机制和新的仍有待定义的机制间搭起了一座桥梁。通过将京都议定书时效延长八年——该议定书限制某些发达国家的温室气体排放量，多哈协议保住了国际法的基本框架，也保住了得之不易的允许排放量计算规则和国家间排放量交易规则。