I believe that government policies designed to save the environment create both direct and indirect costs for the businesses and corporations that operate within that country, as well as for the consumers who purchase their manufactured goods. Any process that is environmentally friendly tends to be more expensive than a process that is not. When the cost of production and manufacturing rises, that cost is ultimately passed on to the consumer. A company cannot be profitable if there is no profit in developing a product. So quite simply, if the cost of production rises, so too shall the cost of the final product. In countries where the political system is in some way controlled or influenced by large corporations, these corporations will fight government policies that would create a rise in the cost of production. The cost of environmentally sound practices is passed on to the business and its consumers. Were such policies put into place, everyday goods would become more expensive. Profit margins for companies would fall, and the consumer's ability to purchase goods would also fall. The world is not yet ready to face the global warming issue, despite the marked changes in the global weather patterns. The financial obligation for a global approach to combat global warming in today's world is just too expensive.
This is also a social issue, not just a political one. People need to be willing to pay more for everyday goods and services. In the developing world, governments and their citizens are not yet in a position to fiscally counter the effects of global warming. And in most western and industrialized nations of this world, economies are based on the consumption of goods and the accumulation of wealth and assets. The environment is not treated as a high priority issue by most governments because the people, the everyday man and woman who pay taxes and purchases goods, cannot afford to be concerned about the environment. This is seen as a problem that will be addressed by future generations, not ours.
Unfortunately, I do not see governments of this world making the environment a high priority for quite some time to come, at least not until the people of the world demand it. Right now, we have only the scientific community showing a serious concern about the environment, and it has slowly started to trickle into mainstream thinking and politics. This issue will only be addressed when it becomes an issue for every man and woman and child on this planet. Without a global consensus, no action will be taken. Right now, the world is fixated on other concerns. The cost of oil. The ongoing conflict in the Middle East. Growing populations. The growing rifts between class and religions. There is far too much religious, political and economic conflict in the world today for governments to make the environment their priority.