Earlier this month, countries from around the world agree the “Durban platform”, designed to lead to cuts in carbon emissions and therefore reduce the effects of climate change.That agreement did not get a great deal of attention, perhaps because the world was obsessed around that time with the possibility of the collapse of the European Union monetary system.But its importance cannot be understated, for Bermuda or the world.International coordination on fighting climate change has been poor, partly because of vocal scepticism from a small minority within and without the scientific community, but more because of the intransigence of industrialising nations like China and Brazil and from American conservatives, typified by the decision by the US to back out of the Kyoto Protocol.Now, there is a broad consensus that climate change is happening. It is also clear that its effects are varied. Heavier than normal snowfall in some regions of the world does not mean the world is getting colder. Simple ideas like “global warming” are now being superseded by a better understanding of climate change and the idea that the world is facing more extreme weather.None of this is simple to predict, but few can doubt that the polar ice caps are melting and the world, overall, is getting warmer.This has major ramifications of the world generally for small island like Bermuda as well. Perched on its mountain, Bermuda may be less vulnerable than many coral atolls in the Caribbean, Atlantic and elsewhere, but we know that rising sea levels and changes in the composition of the surrounding ocean would have an extraordinary effect on this Island. It may not happen overnight, but happen it will if steps are not taken to reduce its effects.The major significance of the Durban platform is that developing countries like China and India have agreed to be legally bound to make cuts in their greenhouse gases. Previously developing nations have resisted bearing legal obligations for tackling climate change, while sayign that rich nations which over more than a century have produced most of the carbon currently in the atmosphere and benenfted from it should. That argument had some justice, but it must be assumed that the developing world now sees climate change as a more compelling threat.It is important to note that agreements on emission cuts must still be reached, and that’s the hard part. But Durban showed progress can be made.Bermuda is not a leading producer of carbon emissions and already has fairly rigorous emissions standards. But that does not mean it should not do its part, or that it cannot take further measures.More people are installing solar panels and wind turbines to generate their own electricity. There are already lower duties for importing electric vehicles vehicle exhaust being one of the major sources of emissions in Bermuda and Premier Paula Cox’s recent flotation of basing vehicle licence fees based on emissions rather than size is intriguing.Belco is now embracing cleaner energy production, but it is likely that the time when it is not depending on oil for its turbines is still many years away.There is another reason to reduce emissions. It seems likely that oil prices will remain high as demand rises and the cost of extraction increases as well.This should make alternative energy sources more economical, and anything that makes Bermuda less dependent on imports should be supported. Bermuda needs to continue to reduce its emissions and take advantage of its “natural” resources for generating energy the sun, the wind and the sea’s currents.