Chinese undermine hopes of Copenhagen climate deal

China has indicated that it is likely to scupper a far-reaching climate deal at Copenhagen as Gordon Brown downgraded his ambitions for the outcome of the 192-nation summit on global warming.

The Prime Minister used a speech to ministers and fellow world leaders this morning to urge agreement around six broad principles, including preventing global temperatures from rising by more than 2 degrees on pre-industrial levels and cutting emissions from developed nations by 80 per cent by 2050. He also said that developing countries should show a “significant reduction from business as usual”.

“Hurricanes, floods, typhoons and droughts that were once all regarded as the acts of an invisible God are now revealed to be the visible acts of Man,” he said.

However, he acknowledged that a detailed agreement was unlikely to be drawn up this week and downgraded his timetable for a deal, suggesting that it should be reached within a year rather than the six months he previously pledged. His speech echoed downbeat comments from other delegations.

As conference hosts, the Danes have taken on the task of hammering out a meaningful pact to reduce global carbon emissions and to help developing countries to cope with the rising temperatures that scientists consider inevitable.

A Danish official conceded this morning that the chances of a comprehensive agreement were slim.

Meanwhile, briefing parliament before leaving for the Danish capital, the German Chancellor Angela Merkel said: “The news reaching us is not good.

“At the moment the negotiations do not look promising but I, of course, hope that the presence of more than 100 heads of state and government can give the necessary impetus to the event.”

The pessimistic mood came after remarks by the Chinese delegation that it could not envision reaching a detailed, binding agreement this week.

Speaking shortly after the arrival of their Premier, Wen Jiabao, the Chinese said that they did not want an operational accord — an agreement with teeth. A Chinese negotiator instead suggested a “short, political declaration of some sort”.

The Chinese appeared to have softened their stance by this morning, however, with their lead envoy saying that a final agreement could be reached next year.

Ed Miliband, the Climate Change Secretary, said that he was extremely downbeat about the prospects for a deal that could be turned into a legal agreement within months. He suggested that international environment ministers, who are entering their eleventh day at the summit, had become too entrenched in their positions to be able to see their way to an agreement.

“Basically, we’ve spent today arguing about the shape of the table, the nature of the negotiations,” Mr Miliband said last night. “Now, given the very short time there is to go, I agree with Connie Hedegaard [the Danish Environment Minister] that that is not a good way to go. It’s not what we needed to do today.” The UK had been expecting the Danes to publish another draft text this morning, incorporating the plan by Prime Minister Meles Zenawi of Ethiopia for $100 billion (£61 billion) in aid for the developing world. This has not emerged, amid speculation that such a detailed proposal is no longer likely.

In his speech Mr Brown set out six principles that he hoped would form the backbone of the deal. In a concession to China he said that the monitoring of climate change goals by the international community would not affect national sovereignty.

UK officials suggested that the negotiations should continue as soon as the summit finishes, aiming to secure an agreement at the summit in Mexico next summer.

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