Listened to a debate on the BBC this morning. Copenhagen delegates from Sweden, Maldives, Australia, South Africa, China and elsewhere were there.

The comments from the Chinese delegate , in essence, were that China would make changes in its own way and in its own time. The Swedish delegate talked about binding legislation, as did a Greenpeace observer from the audience- which to me seem a cloud nine hope.

The Australian prime minister seemed resistant to change, I think sensitive to accusations that it is a big polluter because of its massive coal exports. Tuvalu (delegate in the audience) and Maldives asked for action before they lost the land they stand on.

China has placed itself among the developing nations- in one sense it is, but on the other hand it is a financial and industrial giant- and its more rural areas do not lack food or other necessities, but continue in an old village way of life.

These are my own interpretations; others may have read the comments differently.