China's accusation of 'historical' guilt no longer applies

WORLD China's accusation of 'historical' guilt no longer applies Daniel Wetzel 9 hrs ago | The success of the 26th climate conference will be measured by many criteria. Is the global community still showing enough ambition in CO₂ savings? Are the financial transfers that enable developing countries to transform their economies in a climate-neutral way working? "In the end, only one question will be decisive in climate protection: What is China doing?" says WELT writer Daniel Wetzel. Environmental activists are demonstrating by the thousands in Glasgow's streets, demanding "action not words" and a "change of system," but they always target only the Western industrialized nations. That will not be enough. Because in the end, only one question will be decisive in climate protection: What is China doing? While CO₂ emissions are already falling in the developed OECD countries, the People's Republic has multiplied its emissions within just a few years. It now accounts for around one-third of global emissions alone and - together with India - for virtually the entire increase in greenhouse gases in the atmosphere. The country also emits more per capita than the citizens of the European Union and plans to increase emissions even further by 2030. After head of state Xi Jinping pledged before Glasgow to reduce the country's CO₂ emissions to net zero by 2060, the euphoria was initially great. But now disillusionment is spreading: Xi was absent from the meeting of 120 heads of state at the opening of the conference. In Paris in 2015, China was represented by 326 delegates; this time, Beijing sent only 60 to Glasgow, half as many as Germany, for example. China did not join the declarations of intent to phase out coal use and reduce methane emissions that were celebrated here. China's role in climate change As the mouthpiece of the emerging countries, China always used the argument of "historical guilt" at the UN climate conferences: The West was solely responsible for global warming through its industrialization - and had to answer for it. Transfers of billions of dollars to developing and newly industrializing countries could be justified in this way, as could China's own braking on climate protection. But now China's role is changing. The accusation of historical guilt no longer holds water when put forward by a country that will soon overtake the U.S. economically, eclipse the growth rates of the West and buy up infrastructure worth billions worldwide for a "new Silk Road. Without strong emissions reductions, China is likely to be the main contributor to climate change as early as mid-century, even measured by all historical emissions. In the absence of a superior power, only the game of "shame and blame" works in the anarchist world of states. The prospect of being disgraced and pilloried before the world public for doing nothing was successful in Paris in 2015: China supported the world climate agreement at that time. A similarly clear confrontation is not taking place today. China's "droning silence" at the world climate conference is preferred to be ignored - so far also by the demonstrating climate activists on the streets of Glasgow.