![]() ![]() Obama was unaware, however, thinking he was going to meet alone with Wen. ![]() The modified acronym reflected its members: Brazil, South Africa, India and China. ![]() Meanwhile, a four-nation negotiating team known as BASIC gathered. Obama used the time to talk strategy with the leaders of France, Germany and Great Britain. The Chinese said Wen could meet with Obama at 6:15 p.m., then changed it to 7 p.m. South African President Jacob Zuma agreed to meet with Obama, then canceled when he heard the Indian leader was away, and Brazil would attend only if India did. The same was said of top Indian officials, but nothing was clear. Chinese officials said Wen was at his hotel and his staff was at the airport. He hoped these fast-growing nations, which had been loosely aligned with China on many of the key issues, might influence the Chinese.Ĭonfusion reigned. Meanwhile he asked aides to try to set up a final one-on-one meeting with Wen, and a separate meeting with leaders of India, Brazil and South Africa. He kept an appointment to discuss arms control with Russian President Dmitry Medvedev. At a follow-up session of the morning’s big meeting, the Chinese sent an even lower-ranking envoy in Wen’s place.Īn irritated Obama told his staff, “I don’t want to mess around with this anymore, I want to just talk with Premier Wen,” according to a senior administration official who spoke on background to discuss sensitive diplomatic issues.īy now night had fallen, and it was clear Obama would be late getting home. team was more baffled and irked than before. ![]() The two leaders directed aides to work on mutual language, and Obama’s team proposed specific wording meant to solidify China’s promise to be more forthcoming about its anti-pollution efforts.Ī short time later, however, the U.S. official said they took a step forward as they discussed emissions targets, financing and transparency. Things then appeared to turn for the better, as Obama and Wen met privately, as scheduled, for 55 minutes. “I don’t know how you have an international agreement where we all are not sharing information and ensuring that we are meeting our commitments,” he said. #Speech timer comedian clock fullObama later seemed unusually animated when he alluded indirectly to China in a short, late-morning speech to the full conference. The snub baffled and annoyed delegates.įor months, Obama had been pressing China to put into writing its promises to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Right away there was a troubling sign.Ĭhina was the only nation to send a second-tier official: vice foreign minister He Yafei instead of Premier Wen, who was in the building. Instead of attending a planned meeting with Denmark’s prime minister, he plunged into an emergency session of about 20 nations, big and small, wealthy and poor. Obama was thrown off schedule almost from the moment he landed Friday morning in Copenhagen, where the summit’s final-day talks seemed to be collapsing. This account of Obama’s hectic day is based on dozens of interviews and statements by key players from numerous countries. The agreements will give billions of dollars in climate aid to poor nations, but they do not require the world’s major polluters to make deeper cuts in their greenhouse gas emissions. The Copenhagen agreements are “merely the repackaging of old and toothless promises,” said Asher Miller, executive director of the Post Carbon Institute.Įven though a weary, bleary-eyed Obama had added six hours to his planned nine-hour visit, he was back in Washington by the time delegates at the 193-nation summit approved the U.S.-brokered compromises on Saturday. Some, like Jeremy Symons, who watched the talks for the National Wildlife Federation, said it was “high drama and true grit on the part of the president that delivered the deal.” Experts and activists may debate its significance for years. ![]()
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