Climate poses bigger challenge than recession

(China Daily)
Updated: 2009-10-08 09:29

China said climate change is a more formidable challenge than the global recession and one it shares with the world.

The world's third-largest economy has taken "responsible" steps to fight climate change, Liu Yanhua, vice-minister of science and technology, said at a conference in Hong Kong on Wednesday.

Industrialized economies such as the US and developing countries led by China are deadlocked on how much rich nations should help poor ones deal with climate change and to what extent wealthy countries should cut emissions.

President Hu Jintao said last month China will cut emissions in proportion to economic growth, without giving specific targets or goals.

China is among more than 190 nations gathering in Copenhagen on Dec 7 for the final round of talks on a climate accord to replace the Kyoto Protocol, which expires in 2012.

Developed nations should share carbon-reducing technologies with poorer countries to help them cut emissions, Liu said. He also said developed countries should take the lead in committing to binding emission caps.

Emerging economies including India have said they need access to funds, and technologies such as wind turbines, to meet emission curbs and sustain growth.

China is lagging at least 10 years behind the West in the development of technology for energy reduction and clean electricity production, said Wang Xiaokang, president of the China Energy Conservation Investment Corp, which advises companies on emission and pollution reduction.

China is considering a plan to develop alternative forms of energy, such as wind and nuclear, and may announce the proposal before the Copenhagen talks.

The New-Energy Development Plan will include some revised "bigger and bolder" goals to develop new types of energy, said Zhou Fengqi, an advisor to the energy research institute at the National Development and Reform Commission.

China hit out at rich nations on Tuesday, saying failure to honor past climate commitments was undermining UN-led efforts to try to seal a broader pact in December to fight global warming.

Speaking on the sidelines of climate talks in the Thai capital of Bangkok, Yu Qingtai, China's special envoy for climate change, said some nations needed to do some "deep soul-searching".

"What is happening right now in these negotiations is not very encouraging to say the least," Yu said, repeating a fear he expressed on Monday that some nations were trying to "terminate" the Kyoto Protocol, the UN's top weapon to curb climate change.

"Are we serious about the commitments that we undertake? Are we serious about the agreements that we reach? Do we have the political will to act on the basis on what we say?"

Yu said rich nations seemed to be shifting their positions to meet the stance of the US. Washington wants any steps to cut emissions to be effective under domestic law but has been ambiguous on whether any new climate pact from 2013 should be internationally binding.

The US never ratified Kyoto, which binds 37 industrialized nations to emissions targets during its first commitment period from 2008 to 2012.

Bloomberg-Reuters