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CBC News Canada Stephen Harpers climate change challenge News Sports Entertainment Radio TV My Region Member Centre Login Sign UpHalifax (Shearwater) Change City9c Tomorrow0c Snow and blowing snow CanadaHome World Canada BC Calgary Edmonton Saskatchewan Manitoba Thunder Bay Sudbury Windsor Toronto Ottawa Montreal NB PEI NS NL North Politics Health Arts & Entertainment Music Film Television Books Media Art & Design Theatre Technology & Science Money Consumer Life Diversions Weather Your Voice LICENSE EMAIL PRINT Text Size S M L XL REPORT TYPO SEND YOUR FEEDBACK Talking politicsDon NewmanStephen Harpers climate change challengeLast Updated Friday November 27 2009 613 PM ET By Don Newman special to CBC News Stephen Harper has changed his mind reversed his field and is now going to the UN climate change conference in CopenhagenHe didnt want to do it Climate change is becoming the most divisive issue in this country since the fight over energy pricing in the 1970s and 80s But he had no choiceThe man the prime minister has been counting on to shape a climate change policy that Canada would have to accept is now going to Copenhagen himself on Dec 9So when US President Barack Obama said he would drop in on the climate change summit Harper knew that he as well had to pack his bags for Denmark Two environmental activists hang a mock Time magazine cover depicting US President Barack Obama in Hong Kong on Nov 16 2009 It is not just Canada following his climate lead (Vincent YuAssociated Press) Still you cant blame the PM for being a reluctant participantBecause while Copenhagen will not create the new allbinding treaty to supersede the Kyoto accord it will almost certainly strike the political agreement to limit future greenhouse gas emissionsAnd that process will force participant nations to outline just how far they are prepared to go to limit fossil fuel production within their economies and how exactly they intend to do thatDifferent goalsObviously this is going to be contentious issue Nations rich and poor developed and developing will jockey for positionDeveloping countries like China will propose modest flexible goals to reduce the amount of greenhouse gases produced in industrial production the socalled carbon intensity targets that will move in lockstep with their growing economiesThe developed countries of the European Union densely populated and with a generally moderate climate will call for hard caps and real cuts in the amount of greenhouse gases producedFurthermore they will warn of tariffs and other penalties on the goods imported into Europe from countries with less stringent requirementsThe wild card in this global warming game of highstakes poker has been the United StatesUntil his final years in office former president George W Bush had been reluctant to even admit greenhouse gas emissions ne...