FT Energy Source is posting a daily question for our panel of expert commentators. Below, guest panellists Vivienne Cox of Climate Change Capital, Mindy Lubber of the Investor Network on Climate Risk, Jeremy Leggett of the Global Observatory, Julian Morris of the International Policy Network, Lord Browne of the Royal Academy of Engineering and David Jones of Havas respond to today’s question:

The offers countries made on emissions reduction prior to Copenhagen appear to be insufficient to prevent a 2-degree global temperature rise. Should industrialised nations or developing countries be expected to raise their offers first?

Vivienne Cox: This should not be a question of who blinks first because this is not an I-win-you-lose negotiation. Everyone has to understand that we are all in this together and we have to stop pretending it is a stand-off just because that is how it usually is. Cooperation has got to be the survival strategy because there is an obvious mutual interest in solving the problem. That will then allow business to do what it does best – invest across borders. We don’t want to see any politician claiming victory for their own narrow interests. They have to be bigger than that.

Mindy Lubber: Industrialised countries need to move first primarily, but not exclusively, because you have to fish where the fish are. Those are the countries where the bulk of emissions are generated. Those are the largest historical emitters by far – a fact that strongly implies an obligation to swiftly act. And those are the places where the low-hanging fruit of big emission reductions, especially through enhanced energy efficiency, are ripest.