And China is making no bones about it:

China will not make a binding commitment to reduce carbon emissions, putting in jeopardy the prospects for a global pact on climate change.

Officials from Beijing told a UN conference in Bonn yesterday that China would increase its emissions to develop its economy rather than sign up to mandatory cuts.

Not only no cuts, but an increase in its emissions.

And Japan - where the Kyoto accord was signed - isn't very enthused about cuts either:

Hopes that Copenhagen might deliver tougher carbon reduction targets were dashed further when Japan failed to make a significant commitment to reduce emissions.

Instead of the hoped for 15% cut, Japan said it would try for 2%.

The Bush Administration had insisted that it would not agree to mandatory cuts as long as developing nations increased emissions. The Obama Administration has taken a softer line, accepting that China and India could not be expected to make equal commitments to developed economies. However, Mr Stern recently said: "They do need to take significant national actions that they commit to internationally, that they quantify and that are ambitious."

Well we now know how that "soft line" works, don't we? China bows up and not only refuses to play but says it is going to increase its admission. And Japan felt confident enough to lower its target from 15 to 2. Not that I blame them or don't think we should blow this whole thing off too.

But that's the probem - the US will probably continue to pursue cap and trade because that's been the left's wet dream here for years. You see we use too much energy and we need to be punished - punished I tell you! And we'll commit ourselves to the equivalent of bailing the ocean with a teaspoon while our economy strangles.

Ironic - in the real world "little green shoots" would thrive in increased CO2.

[Crossposted at QandO]