The new US plan should reflect the common but differentiated
responsibilities in the United Nations Framework Convention on
Climate Change (UNFCCC), and some details in the plan are to be
communicated and discussed with other countries, said Ma Kai,
minister in charge of the National Development and Reform
Commission, at a press conference.
He said the US new proposal shows positive changes, including a
focus on maintaining economic growth, and the need for technology
innovation and transfer in combating climate change.
Yesterday, China became the first developing country to publish
a national action plan on climate change as a means to combat
global warming.
The Chinese government has set the target of cutting major
pollutants including sulphur dioxide and chemical oxygen demand by
10 percent in the five years up to 2010. While the country does not
include carbon dioxide in its major pollutants reduction plan, Ma
explained that energy saving will help reduce its emission.
Ma also said that not undertaking the quantitative task for
reducing greenhouse gas emission does not mean China won't
undertake GHG mitigation obligation.
China will not take the traditional industrialization path of
high emission and high energy consumption, but rather a new road of
fast and efficient economic growth in concert with low resources
consumption and low waste discharge, said Ma.
"This process itself will be part of China's contribution to the
world's sustainable development and to worldwide efforts to address
climate changes," he said.
Ma said climate changes have attracted increasing attention from
the international community, which has reached a consensus on the
following facts:
-- Global warming is an indisputable fact.
-- Apart from natural factors, global warming has resulted from
human activities, particularly the use of fossil fuels such as coal
and oil, which account for 65 percent of carbon dioxide emission
worldwide.
-- Global warming is a common challenge facing all people
worldwide, which needs the joint efforts of the international
community.
"The Chinese government has always attached importance to
climate changes and always been willing to cooperate with the
international community in easing global warming," the minister
said.
Talking about whether a developing nation should undertake the
quantitative task for GHG mitigation, Ma said it is necessary to
properly understand the essence of the climatic change issue.
He quoted President Hu Jintao's judgment made at a G8+5 meeting
held in 2005. Hu said climate change was a problem of environment
and a problem of development at the same time.
The developed nations accounted for 95 percent of carbon dioxide
emission worldwide resulting from the use of fossil fuels from the
start of the Industrial Revolution to 1955, and for 77 percent in
the 1950-2000 period, Ma quoted.
Therefore, the minister said, developed nations are inescapably
liable for climate changes and should take major obligations.
"They are under an obligation to provide financial and
technological support for developing nations in their efforts
against climate changes," Ma said.
As for developing nations, they recorded less accumulative
amount of GHG discharge and low per-capita emission, their
priorities are economic development and poverty relief, according
to Ma.
While addressing the climatic change issue, the international
community should take into full consideration developing nations'
right and space to develop.
"We think if facts, historical accountability and different
nations in different stages of development are ignored and climatic
problems are taken as an excuse in improperly requiring developing
countries to take on GHG mitigation obligations as their developed
peers do, it is not objective and unfair, as the requirement may
restrict the industrialization and development of developing
nations," Ma said.
According to China's National Climate Change Program issued on
Monday, China will likely mitigate carbon dioxide emission by
approximately 50 million tons by 2010 through the development of
hydro power projects. Another 110 million tons of the greenhouse
gas will not be discharged by eliminating small thermal power
projects.
Meanwhile, bio-energy projects will help reduce GHG emission by
30 million tons by 2010, and wind, solar, marine, and terrestrial
heat projects help slash such gas emission by 60 million tons.
(Xinhua News Agency June 4, 2007)