Copenhagen failure and North-South dynamics

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• Copenhagen failure and North-South dynamics

Teea Kortetmäki University of Jyväskylä teea.korte
tmaki_at_jyu.fi
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Background

• Copenhagen climate conference 2009
• High hopes, low results
• One reason for failure North-South clash
• How was this clash rhetoricized?
• Were there attempts to overcome it?

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Analyzed speeches

• The United States (Obama)
• The Climate Group (Blair)
• China (Wen)
• Zimbabwe (Mugabe)
• The African Union (Zenawi)

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Analyzed issues

• Based on the argument analysis these issues were
  most discussed
• How was the North-South barrier crossed or
  blocked?

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1 The seriousness of climate change

• North a scientific and technological question
  climate change will threaten our planet
  (orientation towards future)
• South climate change is already here, it is
  causing disasters and killing people a concrete,
  bodily and distressing question

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2 North/South map

• North admits responsibility for emissions
• but is already responding to the situation
• rather calm
• South is in distress
• suffering from North's unfair development
• a victim or the stakeholder of the future?

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3 Action suggestions

• North emission mitigations lack ambition,
  promises to help South (...but with what
  conditions?)
• China in between tries to stay labeled as a
  South representative gt short-term focus
• South hour of need is now. Lack of trust towards
  North's promises, suggestions are focused on
  funding

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Summary

• North blocks the barrier with lack of ambition
  and vague promises
• Blair's emphasis on getting the train moving
  didn't reach everyone
• South blocks the barrier with guilty rhetoric
  however, Zenawi's speech was an example of
  barrier-crossing attempt
• The barrier was more blocked than crossed