Copenhagen

China's fluctuating PR

A standoff in Copenhagen; the execution of Briton Akmal Shaikh; the sentencing of dissidents Liu Xiaobo and Zhao Shiying; Google; currencies ... it seems a sudden deluge of Western complaints against China have erased all memories of President Obama's early attempts to woo Beijing.

The perception of politicians, commentators and analysts, has become increasingly negative as a consequence.

Andrew Small at  the German Marshall Fund in Brussels summarises:

What has startled China’s interlocutors is the brashness with which Beijing now asserts its interests — and its willingness to prevail, even at the expense of appearing the villain.

An inconvenient truth

Mid-afternoon on Saturday December 19 and Yvo de Boer, the UN's chief climate negotiator, has just uttered the words that perhaps best describe the nature of the deal here.

Asked what it means that the Copenhagen Accord has been 'taken note' of by the parties, he replied: "'Taken note' means that it has been recognised by the parties without anyone actually having to subscribe to it."

That is the shape of success at Copenhagen.

Hailed as an "essential beginning" by UN secretary general Ban Ki-Moon, the accord is little more than a guideline for future talks. It commits no single party to any single firm action. There are no precise targets, no accountable promises, no deadlines.

Certainly, it is success clawed from the jaws of defeat. But it is an expedient success that will be trumpeted by a few as far more than it is.

The Discordant Accord

Five hours ago, more than a hundred world leaders were due to gather in a large hall on the outskirts of Copenhagen to sign a deal which would save the world.  We're still waiting.

The politicians promised Copenhagen would be the time and the place where countries across the world began a united fight against climate change.

Documents have been floated, ideas suggested and late on Friday, we obtained a copy of what we were told was the draft which might form the framework of a final agreement.

Reading through it and given the promises given and the expectations raised, it falls well short.  It is called the Copenhagen Accord and that may be the only thing that all the countries can agree on.

Peru: Is Global Warming a priority or not?

Alan Garcia will not be attending the Copenhagen meeting for global warming. Many here say he has more important things to do. On Tuesday I climbed the Ausangate glacier with a specialist from the area. He says that in 30 years these tropical glaciers and others will be gone.

It wouldn't be an enormous problem if entire communities did not depend on the water that comes down from the glaciers. They use it for their crops, mostly potatoes, and for their cattle.

What shocked me the most is that the indigenous people that have barely access to electricty knew about the meeting in Copenhagen. The told me "we hope they can help us build dams or other ways to save water for when the glacier is gone". It also surprised me that the pray to the mountain and call it "Apu". They know that their livelihood depends on the water coming down from there.