A statement issued by the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit conceded a long-suspected reality: The upcoming Copenhagen conference will not produce a legally binding climate pact to succeed the failed Kyoto Protocol. APEC's statement was significant because APEC nations comprise roughly 60 percent of total anthropomorphic greenhouse emissions, including the two largest sources in China and the United States. Without participation by these nations, any agreement is moot.

Those hoping that Copenhagen would yield a substantive agreement to curb greenhouse gas emissions and related commitments were greatly disappointed by the APEC statement -- perhaps most of all the United Nations, which has pushed for a binding legal framework in Copenhagen. But overlooked in this...