China’s developing world shields
Michael Levi points out an important dynamic that will likely dominate the next week’s climate meetings in Cancun: China’s attempt to bind itself to other, smaller developing countries when it comes to the development of international transparency requirements on emissions: The vast majority of developing countries have trivial emissions. Moreover, the poorest countries don’t have ...
Michael Levi points out an important dynamic that will likely dominate the next week's climate meetings in Cancun: China's attempt to bind itself to other, smaller developing countries when it comes to the development of international transparency requirements on emissions:
Michael Levi points out an important dynamic that will likely dominate the next week’s climate meetings in Cancun: China’s attempt to bind itself to other, smaller developing countries when it comes to the development of international transparency requirements on emissions:
The vast majority of developing countries have trivial emissions. Moreover, the poorest countries don’t have the resources to participate in an international review process. If China can succeed in maintaining solidarity among developing countries while insisting that all of them be subject to the same requirements, the poorer developing countries will object to any burdens, thus doing China’s dirty work for it. [snip]
China will insist on not differentiating among developing countries, which lets it use poorer countries as a shield; the United States will try to sow discord within the broader group, freeing poorer developing countries to put pressure on China and a few others. Last year, the U.S. did that mainly by offering money; this year, that’s less credible. The United States and its partners are in for a tougher time.
As Bill McKibben wrote on the FP main page, "I suspect Obama will not be flying in for this year’s conference."
David Bosco is a professor at Indiana University’s Hamilton Lugar School of Global and International Studies. He is the author of The Poseidon Project: The Struggle to Govern the World’s Oceans. Twitter: @multilateralist
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