From Copenhagen to Cancún to Durban: Moving deckchairs on the climate titanic

Patrick Bond examines the developments and issues debated on at various environmental forums held in Copenhagen, Cancún, and Durban. In Cancún, a mood of optimism was restored for future rounds of global climate negotiations, though everyone knew the deal would not even begin to address the requirements of climate science. The elites' positive spin was based on reaching an international consensus, and establishing a few new instruments to manage the climate crisis using capitalist techniques. Speaking in measured tones, Di-Aping first attacked the 2 degrees C warming maximum that most rich countries currently consider acceptable. A variety of other detours and cul-de-sacs emerged, redirecting climate financing to useless or destructive routes. During 2009-2010 in the run-up to and wake of the Copenhagen Accord, widespread Value Added Tax fraud on EU emissions credits was investigated by Interpol.