[graffis-l] CHINA WANTS RICH NATIONS TO TAKE THE LEAD IN CLIMATE TALKS!

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China Wants Rich Nations to Take Lead in

Climate Talks

 

 

Posted by: " Mark Graffis "

mgraffis

mgraffis

 

 

Fri Nov 23, 2007 2:56 am (PST)

http://www.planetark.org/dailynewsstory.cfm/newsid/45503/story.htm

China Wants Rich Nations to Take Lead in Climate Talks

-------------------------

BEIJING - China wants next month's international talks on global

warming to focus on future greenhouse gas cuts by rich countries and

moving more " clean " technology to poor countries, an official

said on Thursday.

China is emerging as the world's biggest emitter of carbon dioxide,

the main greenhouse gas from factories, farms and vehicles that traps

more heat in the atmosphere, threatening to bring dangerous, even

catastrophic, climate change.

Next month in Bali, countries will start what are sure to be tough

negotiations over how to fight global warming. The United Nations hopes

to launch two years of talks to find a successor to the Kyoto Protocol,

whose initial phase ends in 2012.

The United States, the world's biggest greenhouse gas emitter, has

refused to ratify the protocol, which the Bush administration has called

unfair and ineffective.

With China's greenhouse gas output set to soar, many Western

politicians want Beijing to spell out its goals for limiting emissions

growth -- something developing countries are not obliged to do under

Kyoto.

But Song Dong, an official in the Chinese Foreign Ministry's section

preparing for the Bali talks, said negotiations should focus on developed

countries' responsibilities, not China.

" Now I think the most crucial task is to complete negotiations

for emissions reductions by developed countries after 2012, " Song

told a news conference.

He said rich countries also needed to " do better in transferring

(emissions reducing) technology so developing countries can afford it.

That's one of our fundamental claims in the climate change sphere. "

 

Song spoke at a briefing on China's response to a UN panel report

summing up forecasts for global warming.

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Liu Jianchao repeated China's

position that developing countries should not be required to adhere to

specific targets on emissions.

" The critical principle is that developed countries and

developing countries should have common but differentiated

responsibilities, " Liu told a news conference.

" We don't believe developed countries should impose compulsory

objectives on developing countries. "

TURBULENCE

Chinese experts say climate change could badly damage the country's

coastlines, water resources and farms.

The country's pattern of abundant rains in the south and drought in

the north could be reversed, bringing turbulent changes to farming, said

Luo Yong, a deputy director of the national meteorological centre.

Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao said on Wednesday that Beijing would hold

a meeting next year for Asian countries to discuss climate change.

But China also remains committed to rapid economic growth that will

lift greenhouse gas emissions for decades to come.

China's contribution to global carbon emissions by 2030 would rise to

more than a quarter from a fifth now, while its per-capita contribution

would still be less than half the United States, the International Energy

Agency said this month.

Song said the Bali talks had to focus on adapting to inevitable

climate change as well as cutting rich countries' emissions.

" Because developing countries are extremely vulnerable in the

face of climate change, so for them the issue of adaptation is more

prominent, " he said. (Reporting by Chris Buckley, editing by Nick

Macfie and David Fogarty)

Story 23/11/2007

y CAt 08:39 AM 11/23/07, you wrote:

China Wants Rich Nations to Take

Lead in Climate Talks

Posted by: " Mark Graffis " mgraffis

mgraffis

Fri Nov 23, 2007 2:56 am (PST)

http://www.planetark.org/dailynewsstory.cfm/newsid/45503/story.htm

China Wants Rich Nations to Take Lead in Climate Talks

-------------------------

BEIJING - China wants next month's international talks on global warming

to focus on future greenhouse gas cuts by rich countries and moving more

" clean " technology to poor countries, an official said on

Thursday.

China is emerging as the world's biggest emitter of carbon dioxide, the

main greenhouse gas from factories, farms and vehicles that traps more

heat in the atmosphere, threatening to bring dangerous, even

catastrophic, climate change.

Next month in Bali, countries will start what are sure to be tough

negotiations over how to fight global warming. The United Nations hopes

to launch two years of talks to find a successor to the Kyoto Protocol,

whose initial phase ends in 2012.

The United States, the world's biggest greenhouse gas emitter, has

refused to ratify the protocol, which the Bush administration has called

unfair and ineffective.

With China's greenhouse gas output set to soar, many Western politicians

want Beijing to spell out its goals for limiting emissions growth --

something developing countries are not obliged to do under Kyoto.

 

But Song Dong, an official in the Chinese Foreign Ministry's section

preparing for the Bali talks, said negotiations should focus on developed

countries' responsibilities, not China.

" Now I think the most crucial task is to complete negotiations for

emissions reductions by developed countries after 2012, " Song told a

news conference.

He said rich countries also needed to " do better in transferring

(emissions reducing) technology so developing countries can afford it.

That's one of our fundamental claims in the climate change sphere. "

 

Song spoke at a briefing on China's response to a UN panel report summing

up forecasts for global warming.

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Liu Jianchao repeated China's position

that developing countries should not be required to adhere to specific

targets on emissions.

" The critical principle is that developed countries and developing

countries should have common but differentiated responsibilities, "

Liu told a news conference.

" We don't believe developed countries should impose compulsory

objectives on developing countries. "

TURBULENCE

Chinese experts say climate change could badly damage the country's

coastlines, water resources and farms.

The country's pattern of abundant rains in the south and drought in the

north could be reversed, bringing turbulent changes to farming, said Luo

Yong, a deputy director of the national meteorological centre.

Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao said on Wednesday that Beijing would hold a

meeting next year for Asian countries to discuss climate change.

 

But China also remains committed to rapid economic growth that will lift

greenhouse gas emissions for decades to come.

China's contribution to global carbon emissions by 2030 would rise to

more than a quarter from a fifth now, while its per-capita contribution

would still be less than half the United States, the International Energy

Agency said this month.

Song said the Bali talks had to focus on adapting to inevitable climate

change as well as cutting rich countries' emissions.

" Because developing countries are extremely vulnerable in the face

of climate change, so for them the issue of adaptation is more

prominent, " he said. (Reporting by Chris Buckley, editing by Nick

Macfie and David Fogarty)

Story 23/11/2007

 

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