Posted on 12/23/2009 12:40:29 AM PST by myknowledge
A writer and environmental activist who was present at the final Copenhagen climate talks says China sabotaged the deal and ensured Barack Obama would shoulder the blame.
While China's Premier Wen Jiabao insisted his government had played an "important and constructive" role, the talks in the Danish capital ended with a political accord rather than a binding agreement.
Mark Lynas, who was attached to the Maldives delegation, described what he saw at the talks as "profoundly shocking".
"I am certain that had the Chinese not been in the room, we would have left Copenhagen with a deal that had environmentalists popping champagne corks in every corner of the world," he wrote in the The Guardian.
"The truth is this: China wrecked the talks, intentionally humiliated Barack Obama, and insisted on an awful 'deal' so Western leaders would walk away carrying the blame.
He says Prime Minister Kevin Rudd and other Western leaders were visibly upset when China started "removing all the numbers that mattered" in the final talks, including emissions cuts by developed countries of 80 per cent by 2050.
"'Why can't we even mention our own targets?' demanded a furious [German Premier] Angela Merkel.
"Australia's prime minister, Kevin Rudd, was annoyed enough to bang his microphone. Brazil's representative too pointed out the illogicality of China's position. Why should rich countries not announce even this unilateral cut?
"The Chinese delegate said no, and I watched, aghast, as Merkel threw up her hands in despair and conceded the point. Now we know why - because China bet, correctly, that Obama would get the blame for the Copenhagen accord's lack of ambition.
"But I saw Obama fighting desperately to salvage a deal, and the Chinese delegate saying "no", over and over again."
Lynas says the 2020 peaking year was then "replaced by woolly language" and the global 50 per cent cuts by 2050 were also removed.
"No-one else, perhaps with the exceptions of India and Saudi Arabia, wanted this to happen," Lynas said.
'Took the bait'
Lynas fears "the truth about what actually happened is in danger of being lost amid the spin and inevitable mutual recriminations".
"China's strategy was simple: block the open negotiations for two weeks, and then ensure that the closed-door deal made it look as if the west had failed the world's poor once again. And sure enough, the aid agencies, civil society movements and environmental groups all took the bait," he said.
"The failure was 'the inevitable result of rich countries refusing adequately and fairly to shoulder their overwhelming responsibility', said Christian Aid. 'Rich countries have bullied developing nations,' fumed Friends of the Earth International.
"All very predictable, but the complete opposite of the truth."
He is dismissive of the role played by Sudanese delegate Lumumba Di-Aping, who negotiated on behalf of China and developing countries, accusing Sudan of behaving as China's puppet and helping to create the "perfect stitch-up".
Lynas also said China carried out a clear diplomatic snub at the talks.
"The Chinese premier, Wen Jinbao, did not deign to attend the meetings personally, instead sending a second-tier official in the country's foreign ministry to sit opposite Obama himself," he said.
"The diplomatic snub was obvious and brutal, as was the practical implication: several times during the session, the world's most powerful heads of state were forced to wait around as the Chinese delegate went off to make telephone calls to his 'superiors'."
India's stance
India has already confirmed it worked with China and other emerging nations to ensure there were no legally binding targets at the talks.
India's Environment Minister Jairam Ramesh earlier faced parliament for the first time since the UN talks, saying the nation had "come out quite well in Copenhagen".
"We can be satisfied that we were able to get our way on this issue," declared Mr Ramesh, who has consistently said India would be one of the countries hardest hit by climate change.
He said India, China, South Africa and Brazil had emerged as a powerful force and said the group had protected its right to continued economic growth.
Mr Ramesh said India would continue to work with its allies "to ensure that the interests of developing countries and India in particular are protected in the course of negotiations in 2010 and beyond".
Britain's blame
Britain has also said the meeting was lurched into farce and pointed the finger of blame at Beijing.
While British Prime Minister Gordon Brown refrained from naming countries, his climate change minister Ed Miliband said China had led a group of countries that "hijacked" the negotiations which had at times presented "a farcical picture to the public".
"We did not get an agreement on 50 per cent reductions in global emissions by 2050 or on 80 per cent reductions by developed countries," he wrote in The Guardian.
"Both were vetoed by China, despite the support of a coalition of developed and the vast majority of developing countries."
China, the world's top polluter, doggedly resisted pressure for outside scrutiny of its emissions.
What's with the finger-pointing and mouth yapping against the Chicoms at the 'climate change conference'.
Obviously, the PRC is the biggest 'greenhouse gas CO2' polluter, but this has nothing to do with 'gorebull warming' no more. Barack Hussein Obama has been made a convenient scapegoat for the 'climate change talks' failure.
I, for one, wish to congratulate and thank the Chinese government.
Now free the dissidents and democratize your communist/fascist hybrid state and I will be even more pleased.
popping champagne? Thats not very environment friendly. Don’t they release co2
A credible witness I'm sure. /s
to blame china is ridiculous. They seem to treat negotiation where everyone agrees with them with no compromise and if they themselves refuse to compromise, its the otherside’s fault. The fault lies with Obama alone for failure cascade leadership
The “West” is playing checkers while China is playing chess.
Never thought I’d say thank you PRC.
about time china vetoed something worth vetoing
Perfect. I'm a simple uneducated man and even I can see the board.
Sanity must be a fickle spirit that appears where ever and whenever it feels like it. Whatever moves it it's a welcome breeze when it comes.
Hmmmmm.......I may have to rethink my resolution to not buy stuff from China anymore. Well done, ChiComs. You have my gratitude.
Never thought I would be siding with China against my government. Interesting times.
What is so hilarious is that all these Global Warming Hoax wonks will whine about Communist China and India for “sabotaging” Croakenhagen.....yet will return to their normal Free Trade Globalist lapdogs whenever the issue of Free Trade comes up.
The Global Warming Hoax crowd....and the Free Trade Globalist crowd...although they may not agree on all issues....they share the same sovereignty-robbing Globalist mentality and actions....both want to take away United States sovereignty....and note that many people like Al Gore, George Soros, John McCain, et al are both Global Warming Hoaxsters and Free Trade Globalists
At least Communist China and India understand the real meaning of “National Sovereignty”....too bad the supporters of Free Trade Globalism (who want to Free Trade w ChiCom and India at all costs), and the supporters of the Global Warming Hoax) do not understand what “National Sovereignty” is.
Al Gore and George Soros are not fre trade globalists. Internationalists, yes, but not free traders. You can’t be for free trade and support carbon offsets trading [which is based on artificial supply and demand of an imaginary product and thus by definition anti-free trade] at the same time.
The Chinese were having a merry time sticking fingers in Obama’s eye for several reasons.
First of all, it’s fun. He’s a jerk, and they know it. They also like to watch him squirm.
Second, their own scientists have undoubtedly told them that man-made, CO2-based AGW is the biggest load of horse manure to be foisted on the world to date, and while they are not above attending these things to see what kind of freebies they can pick up, they never had any intention of agreeing to a single thing that would cost them one yuan.
Third, anything that reduces Obama’s international stature is good in Chinese eyes because it increases their relative clout worldwide, but most especially in the developing world, where they are busy working to supersede both European and American interests — and are doing it quite well.
Fourth, they wanted to clearly remind Obama and the entire administration that THEY have the whip hand because of their purchases of US debt. Putting Obama into the junior position by keeping Hu Jintao away from the talks and forcing Obama to deal with a flunky made that point quite clearly.
There are probably more reasons than that. But those are the biggies.
The Chinese can just lie about meeting the greenhouse gas targets and laugh while the westerners run their countries into bankruptcy.
Commie catfight. Probably some obscure fine point of doctrine.
Zer0 is so arrogant and inept that he willingly walked into a trap.
Thank goodness that we can get an objective view from overseas sources.
global warming is a exposed hoax
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