China blinked, and so did the US: Historic climate deal

By Pat Reber Dec 11, 2011, 7:49 GMT

Durban, South Africa - China and the United States, the biggest bad boys on the world climate scene, ended their long-time coalition of the unwilling and joined an historic UN climate deal in Durban on Sunday.

In the early morning hours, they were among more than 190 countries who approved the Durban Mandate that calls for negotiations to start on a legally-binding global treaty to replace the expiring Kyoto Protocol.

The deal is to be in place by 2015 and go into effect by 2020, in order to reduce even more carbon emissions blamed for global warming.

They also supported the intention to renew the smaller Kyoto Protocol in the same month it expires, December 2012, by which time a decision will be made whether to extend it to 2017 or 2020.

The world's two largest producers of carbon gasses, China and the US - who together emit about 40 per cent - entered the Durban climate talks with heavy baggage and a reputation for obstructionism.

The US never ratified the Kyoto Protocol on global warming. And its main economic rival, China, joined Kyoto but was never obligated to reduce its carbon emissions nor pay into the carbon credit scheme for over-producing, because it was a developing country.

The US, watching China's growing economic challenge, insisted China and other emerging economies pay the expenses of carbon credit obligations too, before Washington would consider doing so.

Coming into the Durban talks that began November 28, analysts did not expect much from either country.

Alden Meyer, of the US-based Union of Concerned Scientists, and other analysts pointed out that both countries face major political events in 2012 - China's leadership is to change in the new year, and US President Barack Obama faces elections in November.

'The recurring ping-pong blame game between the US and China is no longer acceptable and must come to an end,' said Joe Leinen, chairman of the European Parliament delegation to the climate summit, earlier this week.

The two countries did a diplomatic two-step over the course of two weeks, feinting right and left like seasoned boxers.

China cultivated its image as the world's largest producer of renewable energy products, and crowed over its voluntary commitment at the Cancun climate summit to reduce emissions by 40 to 45 per cent per unit of GDP by 2020 compared to 2005.

Chinese officials held daily briefings at their pavilion about the launch of a domestic carbon trading programme and their ambitious five-year plan for green development.

Beijing even briefly indicated it had dropped its long-held opposition to discussing the legally-binding larger global treaty over the coming years that would that would broaden Kyoto's small base and subject signatories to obligatory reductions.

While it quickly stepped back to deny such intent, China's image glowed like that of a prodigal son, hailed into the fold by the environmental organizations who act as watchdogs on the climate discussions.

The US became increasingly isolated and came under pressure from environmental groups, and even members of US Congress, to cooperate in the Durban talks. Every day there were calls for Washington get out of the way of a Durban deal.

'Now that China has announced that they would be open to a legally binding mandate, the world is calling on the US to step up or step aside so we don't end up legally bound to a 4-degree (Centigrade temperature increase) world,' said the WWF on Tuesday.

US climate envoy Todd Stern took the brunt of the fire. He stood for tens of seconds waiting to deliver a speech while a protestor shouted insults and was applauded. The chair took his time stopping the commotion. Soon afterwards, Stern brought his daily press conference forward by two hours and robustly insisted the US was not blocking talks.

Up until voting began at 3:10am (0110 GMT) on Sunday, it still looked like China or the US could hold things up. An angry Chinese envoy gave a forceful speech against rich countries that put carbon into the air while growing economically and now wanted to clamp down on emerging countries.

But the formal voting on the multiple provisions of the Durban Mandate flew by with barely a hitch.

Afterwards, the Chinese delegation greeted the passage of the deal in a statement.

'A heavy load of work ahead on the post-2020 arrangement needs to be done in order to enhance the implementation of the Convention,' it said.

'What needs to be pointed out is that (one) developed country lacks political wills to reduce emissions and provide finance and technology transfer to support developing country.'

Todd Stern disappeared quickly after the historic vote, during which he said only: 'This is a significant package, I think, a very significant package.'

Read more about China