Ever since negotiations for a successor to the Kyoto Protocol begun last year, we’ve been waiting to hear about progress. But as Yu Qingtai, China’s special representative for climate change talks, says, things are looking a little gloomy.
“As far as the Copenhagen process is concerned, my personal assessment is unfortunately fairly pessimistic … things have moved forward in an extremely difficult way and the progress achieved is extremely limited,” Yu says.
Yu added that he did not believe the economic crisis should be “used as an excuse by the developed country governments for not meeting their commitment.”
Many western politicians and experts have stressed that China needs to impose their own cap on greenhouse gasses. Under the current Kyoto protocol conditions, China and other developing nations are exempt from such restrictions. But as I and others have said, that onus sits with western industry, not western governments. Only through placing pressure on production within China will there be any valuable change.
Continuing his all too possible doom-saying, Yu added that, “If we fail, the consequences would be disastrous for everybody.” Scientists may not be resolved and together in their view of how it has happened, but many scientists are fearful of what will happen if the planet does not start to cool soon.
With a new American president due in at the beginning of 2009, many are hoping global change will follow. Both contenders have pledged to make the environment a priority, and with a little over a year until negotiators gather together again to finalize an agreement, something has to happen.
credit: Addictive Picasso at Flickr under a Creative Commons license
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Trade and Climate Policies Must Be Linked in Post-Kyoto World
China Has Already Overtaken U.S. as Number One Polluter Says New Research
About Joshua S Hill
