As the United Nations Climate Change Conference comes to a close today in Durban, South Africa, many people are questioning how world leaders will settle on collective action for a healthier planet. While many countries have come prepared to openly negotiate at this global summit, it seems the world’s biggest emmiters remain unwilling to make significant changes.

Activists and politicians are accusing India, Brazil, the United States and China (who together account for nearly half of the world’s emissions) of being uncooperative when it comes to creating a legally-binding international deal that commits countries to reducing their emissions. For now it looks like a standoff between these four countries and the EU, which is backed by coalitions of small island nations and least developed countries. Both India and China contend that cutting emissions would hamper their economic growth, and the United States announced its refusal to comply with certain Kyoto Protocol pledges that expire next year.

"Youth calling for action on climate change form a giant lion's head on the beach in Durban" Photo: Reuters. Source: The Guardian

According to The San Francisco Chronicle, “The European Union has said it will not renew its emissions reduction pledges unless all countries agree to launch negotiations on a new treaty that would equally oblige all countries – including the world’s two largest polluters, the United States and China – to control their emissions.” Europe is calling on the UN to negotiate a new climate deal by 2015 which would cover all major economies. In a joint statement at the conference, countries standing with the EU conveyed concern about waiting three more years: “The gap between our ambitions and the current pledges is simply too wide. The chance to reach our objective is getting smaller as time passes and we need to start this process today.”

Despite many differences, indicators are strong that the conference will end with an agreement on the creation of a $100 billion Green Climate Fund to help developing countries cope with climate change. The BBC reports that “the draft agreement for this meeting specifies that a levy on fuel used by international shipping could be one source of money for the fund.”

Jay-Z, rapper extraordinaire, toured several countries in Africa in 2006 to follow the unfolding water crisis in the developing world. It seems a little strange that Jay-Z of all people would partner up with MTV and the UN to create a video diary chronicling the struggle that millions of people have to endure just to get water for basic needs. But his celebrity status can do great things to bring the realities of poverty to the public eye. In one video, a girl takes Jay-Z on her daily 4 hour long journey to fetch water. I was just as shocked as Jay-Z when I saw the risks that girls in developing countries take just to provide their families with enough water to survive. Even though it’s still a little weird to see Jay-Z in a suit shaking hands with Kofi Annan, I have to commend him on using his fame toward positive ends. Attaching his celebrity name to a cause as important as water sanitation helps to publicize the fact that 2.6 billion people do not have access to adequate sanitation.

Here’s the video diary series:

The second installment of Jay-Z’s video diary

And the third