More than 100 countries approved a report saying humans are causing climate change and it's time to find solutions. Remember that show of cooperation and progression? Well, file it in the back of your mind as a cherished moment in history, because now some of those countries are rushing to explain why they can't be the ones to find a fix. As U.S. officials publicly balk at emissions caps and Germany shies away from vehicle regulations, leaders from developing countries are pointing fingers at the rich. Climate change "has been caused by the long-term historic emissions of developed countries and their high per capita emissions," said China's Foreign Ministry spokesperson Jiang Yu, who said such nations "bear an unshirkable responsibility" for leading the charge. And Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva criticized wealthy countries' tendency to "[approve] protocols, [hold] big speeches" with few results, saying he would lead a campaign to spotlight the need for rich countries to cut emissions.
If we want a low-emissions trajectory in our future, we're going to have to break the global impasse to get it. And this is only going to happen within a climate regime that takes due account of the real logic of our bitterly divided civilization, which does not encourage enlightened global cooperation. It's a challenge, and it has implications. Especially the "Who Pays?" question that has always been at the heart of global climate politics.