China announced last Thursday that its coal miners have broken an all-time milestone by producing 12.05 million tonnes in one single day.
Alok Sharma, Cop26’s minister of Climate Change and Development was almost in tears two days after the biggest greenhouse gas emitter in the globe, refused to “phase-out” coal under the summit agreement.
Judged by the benchmarks set by Mr Sharma and Boris Johnson before the conference, Cop had failed – thanks to China.
Yesterday green campaigners celebrated some small successes such as the pledges to decrease methane. But back in the real world, China – whose president, Xi Jinping, did not even turn up – is still building coal-fired power stations at a rate of knots and the ‘agreement’ it reached with America to ‘co-operate’ on global warming lacked any substance.
Yet the campaigners in Glasgow barely mentioned – let alone criticised – China. Insulate Britain spokesmen told me that China was not a victim.
Some campaigners even heap praise on China. So, why does there seem to be so little concern about China? Hidden Hand: Exposing how the Chinese Communist Party is Restructuring The World by Mareike Ohlberg and Clive Hamilton provides one answer. It was published in The Mail in January 2013. It argues that China is expanding its control over institutions in Britain and other democratic countries in an effort to blind them to Beijing’s desire for power.
Yesterday green campaigners were pleased with some minor successes such as the pledge to reduce methane. But back in the real world, China – whose president, Xi Jinping, did not even turn up – is still building coal-fired power stations at a rate of knots, writes David Rose (file image)
The book claims that China lures businesspeople, politicians, and academics to its ends. It regards them as ‘useful idiots’ – unwitting instruments of its goal of becoming the world’s only superpower.
This newspaper teamed up with Mandarin fluent researchers to uncover evidence that Western environmentalists were indeed a target. They are linked to bodies that report back to the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), and staffed by people from its most brutal departments.
Xie Zhanghua is China’s chief climate envoy. He was previously a member the central commission of discipline inspection that enforces state orthodoxy. Human Rights Watch says it is responsible for forced confessions, torture, and illegal detention.
Alok Sharma, Cop26’s largest greenhouse gas emitter in the world, was almost in tears two days later when he refused the ‘phase-out’ of coal under the final summit agreement
Hamilton states, “I am dismayed at the way that leading Western environmentalists promote the CCP to be the savior of the world.” Let’s take, for instance, Professor Lord Stern of the Grantham research center on climate change at London School of Economics. This institute advises governments.
He has been teaching in China since 1998 and told a Chinese magazine in 2009 that he was in ‘close contact’ with CCP officials. His 2014 paper, for the World Economic Forum, claimed that China was “emerging” as a world leader in climate policy. His 2016 paper claimed China’s emission levels had’may have reached their peak’. They didn’t. In the following year, he claimed that there was compelling evidence China had stopped using coal.
Stern even praised President Xi’s ‘personal dedication to climate action,’ concluding that: ‘The entire world is looking at a climate champion. China has one. However, he was more cautious in March and said it was “crucial” that China ceases building coal-fired power stations and stop increasing its greenhouse gas emissions by 2025.
Stern’s spokeswoman Bob Ward said that China is taking “significant” action and that its rate of increasing emissions had slowed down. China is keen to emulate the UK’s world-leading climate action and he stated that China would be inspired by it.
Stern’s spokeswoman Bob Ward said that China is taking “significant” action and that its rate of increasing emissions had slowed down. China is ‘willing to follow the UK’s lead in climate change action’, he said.
Stern attended September’s annual conference in Beijing of the China council for international co-operation on environment and development – where he reportedly lauded Xi’s vision of an ‘ecological society’. There was also a huge gathering of US and European environmental crusaders. This included representatives from ClientEarth (a legal charity based in London) and the WWF.
Kate Hampton (chief executive at the Children’s Investment Fund Foundation) was another. This foundation donates many millions each year to green organizations like Extinction Rebellion. The conference was told by Hampton that she had’supported Chinese leadership in setting a global path. In May, she addressed a Beijing investment forum, praising China’s ‘determination to phase out coal’ – the phrase vetoed by Xie at Cop26.
Hampton serves as co-chair for the Belt and Road International Green Development Coalition board, which is run by China’s ministry of environment. This is an outgrowth of Xie’s Belt and Road Initiative, which Chinese leaders claim will help China supplant America. CIFF and ClientEarth are the three main branches of ClientEarth in China. Chinese law requires that foreign organisations submit to the ministry for public security’s ‘close supervision’ in order to crush dissent. Staff members of any group that ‘harms national interest’ risk being jailed.
Canadian Patricia Adams, the Director of Probe International’s think-tank, is well aware that such a threat is real. She was one of two Chinese dissidents who were arrested for picking quarrels with and inciting trouble.
However, documents indicate that president Xi’s plans for an ‘ecological Civilisation’ are a method of assisting China’s dominance. Stock image
Documents suggest that President Xi plans to establish an ‘ecological civilization’ as a way of bolstering China’s power.
Chen Xiangyang (director of another branch of China’s spy agency) stated that ecological civilisation was part ‘China’s plans for a shared destiny for humanity’ at a meeting.
Green groups argue that ‘engaging with China’ is a good thing for the environment.
CIFF spokesperson said that China is the largest emitter in the world and their transition to net zero economy are of paramount importance. CIFF’s efforts in China aim to speed up this transition.
ClientEarth stated that it is focusing on the reduction of pollution in China as well as its emissions from overseas investments. WWF stated that all countries must work towards decreasing emissions, but China is able and encouraged to do more.
Hamilton remains unimpressed. I was told by him that China’s government was ruthless and cynical. Even though Western environmentalists are constantly telling us that China is creating a beautiful and harmonious world for everyone, the West continues to ignore this. Seriously?’