Yet more failure to make much progress on climate change in Durban means that developing countries must exert stronger political pressure.

The world still needs nuclear power — but it must be safer and more transparent.

The climate change debate offers a way to integrate forest management into development policy, but strategies must be informed by good science.

More efforts are needed to hold the leaders of the G8 nations to commitments made at their annual summit meetings.

The world must not miss its second chance to take a radically different approach to energy consumption.

Effective adaptation strategies will require reliable scientific data both on the nature of climate change and on its potential impact.

At its global summit next week the G8 needs to build on the work of its predecessors, putting science and technology back at the heart of the international aid agenda.

The interest in Brazil's ethanol programme should be used to set up fairer partnerships between developing and developed countries.