Der Spiegel has obtained audio recordings of the meetings of world leaders at the Copenhagen Climate Change Summit which produced the final agreement:
He Yafei was playing for time and constantly requesting interruptions, because he needed to confer with his prime minister, Wen Jiabao. Merkel upped the pressure, saying: “So we just have to go.”
There were still two important placeholders, X and Y, in the draft agreement. They marked the spots where the percentage targets for reductions in greenhouse gas emissions, for the industrialized nations and emerging countries respectively, were to be entered. “We cannot go over and say nice things but x and y wait please one year or so,” Merkel said. The German chancellor was determined to secure a commitment from China and India to participate in the climate protection efforts.
But China and India were unwilling to make that commitment. Behind the backs of the Europeans, they had apparently reached their own agreement with Brazil and South Africa. “We have all along been saying ‘Don’t prejudge options!,'” said a representative of the Indian delegation*, prompting Merkel to burst out: “Then you don’t want legally binding!”
This, in turn, prompted the Indian negotiator to say angrily: “Why do you prejudge options? All along you have said don’t prejudge options and now you are prejudging options. This is not fair!” Chinese negotiator He Yafei stood by this remark.
