“The most ambitious and

comprehensive piece of climate change

legislation anywhere in the world.”

Scotland’s climate-change minister, Stewart

Stevenson, as his country passed legislation on

24 June to reduce greenhouse-gas emissions by

42% by 2020, and by 80% by 2050.

“A bold and necessary step.”

US President Barack Obama hails the passage of

the Waxman–Markey energy and climate-change

bill through the House of Representatives on

26 June — by the narrow margin of 219 to 212 votes

(see Nature 459, 493; 2009).

“We must move the debate from a

stand-off over hypothetical figures to

active negotiation on real mitigation

actions and real contributions.”

UK prime minister Gordon Brown suggests on

26 June that an international fund of US$100 billion

a year will be needed by 2020 to help developing

countries to mitigate and adapt to climate change