Speeches & Activities

China urges int'l trust on climate issue

By Zuo Likun (chinadaily.com.cn)
Updated: 2010-04-08 14:04

A Chinese official on Thursday pledged that the country will stick to its clean energy policy, while urging the international community to enhance mutual trust and push for more transparency and cooperation at the climate conference to be held in Mexico in November this year.

The largely-disappointing Copenhagen climate conference last December worked out a diluted unbinding accord which failed to nail down the exact figure on carbon reduction commitments.

"This is the Copenhagen lesson. An international negotiation that lacks transparency and broad participation won't be acknowledged by any nation, and will seriously imperil mutual trust in tackling the climate change problem," said Xie Zhenhua, vice chairman of the National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC), the country's top economic planner, in an address at the opening ceremony of the 2010 Asia News Network Board Meeting in Beijing.

As for the Cancun climate conference in Mexico, "the negotiation work remains herculean," Xie admitted. Eight months before the talks, government officials are already writing off chances for a global treaty. Japanese negotiator Kunihiko Shimada said to Bloomberg last month that a deal this year is "almost impossible," while Europe Union climate policy bellwether Jos Delbeke just ruled out a "comprehensive legal agreement" in 2010.

The Cancun conference faces an uphill task to specify the exact quantity of developed countries' carbon emission reduction, to work out a framework for the current as well long-term climate fund and technology transfer to developing countries, Xie said.

The NDRC official urged global negotiators to stick to the ongoing climate talks "on the principle of transparency, wide and equal participation, as well as consensus based upon consultation", so as to push forward the stalemated Copenhagen conference.

"China will unswervingly carry out the sustainable development policy, actively push forward and adapt to climate-friendly developments," Xie said, "In the spirit of row-together-in-the-same-boat, we hope the international community could enhance their mutual trust and beef up the climate cooperation, so as to work out a better planet for future generations."