No deal. Not even a fig leaf.
That seemed to be the implication of President Barack Obama’s much-anticipated speech at the Copenhagen climate summit.
He arrived at the Bella Center at 9:30 in the morning andimmediately huddled in a non-scheduled and tense meeting with 18 otherworld leaders, including Chinese Vice Foreign Minister He Yafei. AsObama and the others talked, White House officials told reporters thatObama had ripped up his schedule for the day–supposedly the last dayof the conference–and was attempting to rescue the troublednegotiations. He apparently did not succeed.
After the meeting ended, the summit began its most high-profilesession. Danish Prime Minister Lars Rasmussen opened the gathering,saying that it is “not too often us leaders get a chance to chart out anew course for our planet.” No such course was forthcoming. Minutes later, Chinese Premier WenJibao hailed his own nation’s efforts to curb greenhouse gas emissions.But he offered no give on the key matters that had been raised by theUnited States: China placing its emissions reductions within a bindingtreaty and subjecting them to outside verification. Wen indicated thatChina would keep its emissions limits voluntary and unilateral.
NextBrazilian President Luiz Lula da Silva said it would take a “miracle”to reach an accord at Copenhagen. He complained that due to the lack ofprogress in the negotiations he had been forced to participate in a2:00 am meeting with other world leaders. He declared that “eachcountry has to have the confidence to do its own oversight”–seeminglysiding with China on this front.
Then it was Obama’s turn.