The UN's climate talks have taken a turn from the previous stand-off. After 13 days of haggling, delegates from 194 countries finally found a middle course to push forward efforts to address climate change.
Praise for the end of bickering, rather than to the outcome of the conference. An added overnight extension of the Doha climate talks has finally achieved a compromise.
After all, a deal which the media regards as having low ambition and weak commitment is better than no deal at all.
Xie Zhenhua, chief of Chinese delegation, said, "The Chinese delegations' expectation for this round of climate talks has been fully reached. The developed countries were demanded to promise a significant emissions cut by 2020. And they will continue to fund the battle against climate change. Developed countries must scale-up financial aid to $100 billion per year by 2020."
The president of the summit said the agreement on the Kyoto Protocol would apply from 2013 to 2020, as its second commitment period.
But even the EU, the supporter of the document, failed to promise a more ambitious 30 percent emissions cut by 2020. Rather, it will stick to 20 percent which the region has already met eight years ahead of time.
And the U.S., Japan, Canada and Russia have insisted on keeping away from the treaty despite international criticism.
"The developed countries are not doing their best to cut emissions. We are not satisfied with the funding they have promised to provide." Xie said.
(CNTV.cn December 9, 2012) |