China’s green con

It is true that the Australian prime minister tried and failed to keep climate change off the G20 agenda in Brisbane but the reports that an agreement by the “US, China and other nations signal a new momentum for action” has left readers thinking that there has been a monumental shift of policy by China from coal to renewables (your report, 29 November). This is not the case.

China, the world’s biggest emitter of greenhouse gases, is actually promising little more than what it always planned – to let emissions keep soaring until 2030 as it makes people richer.

Thus Obama’s so-called deal requires the Chinese to do nothing at all for 16 years and, to add to the phoniness, the deal is neither binding nor enforceable. Obama’s “breakthrough” deal with China is a gigantic green con.

The other lie reported was that China aims to have 20 per cent of its energy produced from renewables sources by 2030.

What China said was that 20 per cent would come from “non-fossil” fuels, which includes nuclear, and China plans to have five times more nuclear power by 2030.

So China continues its business plan based on coal and nuclear whilst Europe commits economic suicide.

Clark Cross

Springfield Road

Linlithgow