It’s all well and good us in the West getting all hot under the collar about climate change and the need to dramatically reduce carbon emissions but if the rest of the world doesn’t follow suit, it’s check-mate and game over.
That’s ignoring the fact we had to contend with the direct opposition of ex-president Bush, who should have been leading the way, not holding us up.
With president Obama fully committed to a pro-active approach, the next dark mutterings were directed at the rising economic superpowers, namely China and India. Now unexpectedly, we’ve had a giant U-turn from China, the world’s biggest polluter.
On Tuesday, the Chinese President, Hu Jintao promised a ‘notable’ decrease in the amount of carbon emissions per unit of economic output from his country by 2020. Disappointingly, no figures were disclosed but the adjective ‘notable’ used. The only specific example of action was the commitment to plant forests covering an area equivalent to the size of Norway and generating 15% of China’s energy needs from renewable sources within 10 years.
According to the Chinese President: “At stake in the fight against climate change are the common interests of the entire world. Out of a sense of responsibility to its own people and people across the world, China fully appreciates the importance and urgency of addressing climate change.”
Warm words on the previously chilly approach to the climate change summit in Copenhagen in December.
The latter looked as if it was heading for a disastrous start but, after India changed its tone and now the Chinese, there is renewed optimism that progress will be made in the Danish capital. It seems heads of state are at last waking up to the impact of climate change and the need for action now after a decade of delay and prevarication.
Vehicle manufacturers have been investing huge sums of money in research and development into alternative fuel vehicles and making massive strides in cleaning up the good old reliable internal combustion engine but it would be for nothing if the industrialised countries did not get their act together.
After the electric and hybrid unveilings at IAA Frankfurt Motor Show, we have the fresh impetus of the UN general assembly meeting.
Let us hope that the climate change summit in Copenhagen proves the real deal and we can start making real progress to stemming the tide of climate change.
