International media coverage report can be found on the News Centre section of the Durban conference website. It is interesting to compare articles from different countries to underline how the media was shaping the outcome of the United Nations Framework
Convention on Climate Change in Durban. While doing so, it is easy to notice a tremendous difference in reporting the conference between the main developing countries and developed countries.
The developing countries
The China Daily (US version) - 'Small ray of hope for future' - 12/12/2011
'The flexibility all parties have shown to reach an agreement at the end of the Durban climate summit offers a glimmer of hope for our children and grandchildren.'
'The days of wrangling in Durban have again revealed the lack of political will from some developed countries and their willingness to ignore their historical responsibilities and the fact that they have shifted the bulk of their manufacturing to developing countries.'
The Times of India - Durban climate talks end, new global climate change regime from 2020 - 11/12/2011
'India took over centre stage as a force to reckon with, regained its position as the leader and moral voice of the developing world as the EU and the US were forced to address its demands.'
'India achieved its objectives with the Union environment minister Jayanthi Natarajan becoming the voice and leader of the developing world'.
The developed countries
Deutsche Welle (Germany) - Hope fades for meaningful deal at the Durban climate talks - 10/12/2011
'Both
the German and French environment ministers were pessimistic about
the chances of key players agreeing to any sort of substantial action
plan. [...] Röttegen
(German Environment Minister Norbert Röttgen) and his French
counterpart both blamed the slow pace of negotiations under the
chairmanship of South Africa.'
The National Post (Canada) - 'A good time to go away' - 14/12/2011
'What is fascinating about the new Durban agreement, though, is the way it ignores global warming and climate change in any meaningful way. Sure, the Durban "platform" (i.e. something on which to build a future agreement) mentions the climate and the planet scores of times, but it is very light on specifics.'
'The Durban agreement (which is effectively an amendment to Kyoto) concentrates mostly on blaming the developed world for climate change and dictating how much guilt money it should pay. [...] In return, developing nations agreed to be bound by emission targets in some future deal that will be negotiated by 2015.'
'[The Durban agreement] is scientifically meaningless and economically farcical.'
