Marc Gunther, an author for GreenBiz.com, asked himself this very same question in an article titled "What the Heck Happened in Durban?". Depending on whether you see the glass half full or half empty, the outcomes at the UNFCCC's Conference of the Parties 17 in Durban, South Africa will give you a sigh of relief or make your blood boil at the lack of dedication to the climate issue on the global stage. Either way, Marc Gunther provides an excellent summary for you to help come to your own conclusions about what the negotiations in Durban will mean for our future in the face of climate change.

In brief, Gunther says:

"I see two takeaways here for business. First, those companies that worry about climate change need to bring their voices more forcefully to the policy arena; they can't assume that governments are on the right track. Second, companies ought to prepare for climate change -- when they site new facilities, for example -- because it's unavoidable."

Read the full article here.

Very important news on the GHG regulatory front - California voters defeated Prop 23 which would have put the State's Climate Law AB32 on hold. The State of California has long been setting standards in the environmental regulatory arena - this could be a sign for increased pressure across the entire United States for industries to report and reduce their CO2 emissions.

As reported in the article: "It's also viewed as a turning point for the U.S. in terms of whether the nation will back away from supporting stronger climate change laws or move toward stronger greenhouse gas (GHG) reductions"

http://www.environmentalleader.com/2010/11/03/california-voters-reject-prop-
23-save-climate-law/