War of words between negotiators of the US and China appear to derail efforts to arrive at a deal on climate change in Copenhagen in DecemberThe insistence for a new climate deal by the US has caused polarisation among developed and developing countries with rich countries being pitted against developing countries led by China.
While expressing deep opposition to the existing Kyoto protocol, Jonathan Pershing, the chief US negotiator, said that industrialised countries alone can't reduce emissions so as to prevent the impacts of climate change. He wanted other developed countries to join it in setting up a new agreement which would, unlike Kyoto, force all countries to reduce emissions.
"We are not going to be in the Kyoto protocol. We are not going to be part of an agreement that we cannot meet. We say a new agreement has to be signed by all countries. Things have changed since Kyoto. Where countries were in 1990 and today is very different. We cannot be stuck with an agreement 20 years old."
While strongly supporting America's demand for a new agreement, the EU wanted to retain the "best elements" of Kyoto.
The EU spokesman Karl Falkenberg said: "We look at the Kyoto protocol, but since it came into force we have seen emissions increase. It has not decreased emissions. It's not enough and we need more."
Falkenberg pointed out that nothing would be gained by focusing on per capita emissions. "Every country is a polluter and that the atmosphere does not really care where these emissions are coming from."
This infuriated developing countries, which are convinced it is impossible to negotiate Kyoto protocol, the only available legally binding commitment to get countries to reduce emissions.
China's Yu Qingtai blamed developed countries for centuries of pollution. He said that China's per capita emissions are only a third of those in rich countries, even though it is the world's top polluter.
Yu Qingtai said rich countries should not desert the Kyoto agreement, which was ratified by all developed countries except the US.
"In all fairness, we cannot sit here today and talk about everybody making an effort. We want Kyoto protocol to be strengthened. We don't want to kill Kyoto. We really want a revival, a strengthening of the treaty. That can only be done by countries having a target of 40 per cent cuts by 2020," added Yu.
China was supported by the G77 group of 130 countries and the Alliance of Small Island States (Aosis), consisting of Caribbean and Pacific countries which are threatened being marooned and thus are clamouring for a climate deal, which would force countries to cut emissions.
