ABC – that is the Australian Broadcast Corporation has published a story in which BRIC – i.e. India, acting in concert with Brazil and China [no word on Russia], scuttled the Copenhagen Climate Talks. Now by “doomed” is meant that no target date, no target levels for emission reductions , and no financing mechanism were agreed upon in Copenhagen.
Here is what the Indian Environmental Minister had to say:
Facing parliament for the first time since the UN talks last weekend in the Danish capital, Environment Minister Jairam Ramesh said India had “come out quite well in Copenhagen”.He listed what he said were a series of accomplishments, including the thwarting of moves to impose binding targets for global reductions in carbon emissions – something India has always rejected.”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.
In effect the developing countries are saying the following to the rich, developed countries in Europe and North America:
1)The West and developed countries are primarily responsible for the current mess so they should be primarily responsible for the bulk of the clean up;
2)On a per capita basis the West and developed countries are 2 to 20 times more polluting than the now developing countries – so you have much more to clean up right now, don’t try to palm off the task on us;
3)Climate Change is a way of the developed, old industrial economies to thwart the rise of competing developing economies; we will have none of that even if we may suffer tough consequences.
So come Mexico City in 2010, unless these core issues are addressed – don’t expect any progress until the consequences of doing little or nothing starts to reek greater havoc throughout the world.