The Pew Center’s Elliot Diringer outlines UNFCCC expectations from Cancun around incrementalism, and establishing mechanisms and guidelines. He emphasises that we definitely need a binding agreement on climate change at some stage, but it’s not the most urgent item. He notes that the situation in the US is a constraint, but that responsibility also lies elswhere and says we need both public engagement and political leadership. The most we can hope for from Cancun is a new commitment to the goal of a second commitment period.