Heartless? Maybe. Forget the developing countries and let China do the responsible thing themselves.
I think we need to think with a cold mind on this subject. The objective is to minimise the carbon dioxide being introduced into the atmosphere. The only sure way to do that is to build renewable energy projects. Forget about massive tree planting schemes, because the way things are going at the moment those forests may well end up being a carbon source (as opposed to a carbons sink) by 2050 anyway.
Yes Muso - it all sounds very good in theory, but the developing countries are being bribed into signing this Treaty obviously because they're hoping for large amounts of cash.
UNDERLYING tensions between rich and poor nations at the Copenhagen climate negotiations have boiled to the surface with the leaking of a "secret" draft agreement prepared by the Danish host government and a select "circle of commitment" including Kevin Rudd.
The leaked document rocked the United Nations conference as it settled down to its first full day of talks, with developing countries expressing outrage at its contents, and at the fact that it had been developed behind closed doors by the so-called “friends” of the Danish conference chair, Mr Rudd, UN secretary Ban Ki Moon and leaders from other countries including the UK, Sweden, Mexico.
The Danish Government protested that there was no “secret draft for a new Copenhagen Agreement” but rather “many working papers used for testing various positions”.
Privately negotiators were furious that developing nations had resorted to such a “hostile act” because they were nervous about possible outcomes in a final climate deal.
But despite the hosts' attempts to hose down the leak, it has ignited tensions that were not expected to spark until the top-level leaders segment of the talks next week.
Despite all the controversy, the draft “Copenhagen Agreement” contains many elements of a strong political deal, although it leaves blank critical emission reduction commitments and the amounts to be paid into new funding for developing countries for final determination.
It includes a commitment to limit warming to 2 degrees Celsius and - in brackets to acknowledge it is not yet fully agreed - the proposition that global emissions should peak in 2020.
But developing countries and conservationists were deeply concerned that it did not set a timetable for a final binding agreement, nor specify that such an agreement should be in the form of a legally binding treaty, nor propose a future role for the existing Kyoto Protocol.
Environment groups joined in the condemnation, with the WWF fuming that the “behind the scenes negotiations have been focussing on pleasing the rich and powerful countries rather than serving the majority of states who are demanding a fair and ambitious solution”.Oxfam climate adviser Antonio Hill said “like ants in a room full of elephants poor countries are at risk of been squeezed out of the climate talks in Copenhagen. As the talks ramp up and the big players put forward their proposals for the deal it is vitally important that vulnerable countries are part of the debate.”
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