The Convenient Disappearance of Climate Change Denial in China
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The Convenient Disappearance of Climate Change Denial in China

From Western plot to party line, how China embraced climate science to become a green-energy powerhouse.

Geoff Dembicki
Foreign Policy, 2017
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Recommendation

Mainstream Chinese opinion on climate change reversed within a few years: The world’s hub of climate change denial became the pioneer of climate change efforts. Climate change reporter Geoff Dembicki traces how this change came about. getAbstract recommends his article to anyone interested in international relations or China’s growing role in the green energy industry.

Summary

In 2009, the Copenhagen talks on climate failed to produce an agreement, and many observers blamed China for stalling. British environmentalist Mark Lynas reported that “China wrecked the talks, intentionally humiliated Barack Obama and insisted on an awful ‘deal’.” The Chinese on the other hand, felt the options on the table – especially the US proposal to cut emissions in all countries – presented a bad deal for China and other developing nations. An internal Chinese government report described it as “a conspiracy by developed nations to divide the camp of developing nations.”

Some extended this argument to claim that climate...

About the Author

Geoff Dembicki is a climate reporter and author of Are We Screwed?

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