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In the year 2000, nearly 25 years ago, the scene was set for a huge step towards climate change leadership in the USA.

 

For the Democrats, Al Gore was already a committed campaigner with his "Inconvenient Truth" initiative informing corporate leaders about a heating climate. He promised urgent action to curb emissions.

 

The Republican front-runner was John McCain who had long contradicted his party's sceptical line on the climate.

 

Round the world, climate activists and policy-makers held their breath in anticipation of the USA, the world's biggest emitter, finally making the climate a global priority. 

 

But then the campaign trail turned nasty. The dirtiest tricks were used in the fight to win with fingers being pointed at every side.

 

Bush won the nomination, lost the popular vote, but won an election among accusations of fraud and voter suppression. "Hanging chads" became part of the lexicon.

 

Before the election, Bush had promised climate action. After the vote he reneged immediately and appointed former oil man Dick Cheney as his deputy.  

 

The climate was arguably the election's biggest casualty, as the world's biggest economy delayed taking action. If we'd acted strongly then, we'd have had a good chance of avoiding serious climate change but, 24 years later, have we left it too late?

 

Roger Harrabin was there, reporting on climate for the BBC at many of the key climate negotiations that followed. Using archive from the time and fresh interviews with key players, the butterfly effect of dirty tricks on a global crisis can now be heard. Featuring many of the most respected scientists, journalists and activists who are still hoping that the impact of inaction then might yet be prevented with escalated action today.