Representatives
from nearly 200 countries and regions have gathered in Durban,
South Africa, for the 17th session of the Conference of the Parties
to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change
(UNFCCC) and the 7th session of the Meeting of the Parties to the
Kyoto Protocol. The meeting is the follow-up conference to tackling
global climate change after the Copenhagen conference in 2009 and
Cancun conference in 2010. Once again, developed and developing
countries met for another round on the political battlefield on how
to share responsibilities and obligations for the task.
Compared with the
two previous conferences, Durban has its special significance. As a
continuation of negotiations of contracting parties to the UNFCCC
and the Kyoto Protocol, the Durban conference aims at solving
problems that have lingered on after Copenhagen and Cancun, while
also trying to determine whether the second commitment period of
the Kyoto Protocol will start on schedule. It's bound to have an
impact on the future development of how to tackle global climate
change.
After going
through hundreds of years of development, most developed countries
have completed their process of industrialization and urbanization.
Over that time, the carbon dioxide emitted by those countries has
accounted for the major part of overall emissions amount.
Greenhouse gases emitted by developed countries account for 80
percent of the total amount. Therefore, developed countries, such
as those in the EU and the United States, should shoulder major
responsibilities and obligations in carbon emission reduction and
give capital and technical support to developing countries.
Although without
the heavy historical burden, developing countries should also make
their contributions to improving the world's environment. China,
which is still in the middle of its industrialization, and only
accounts for part of the remaining 20 percent of the greenhouse
gases on Earth; its per-capita carbon emission is only one third or
even one fifth of developed countries.
China has always
adopted a positive attitude toward climate change. The Chinese
Government announced its 10-year blueprint for reducing greenhouse
gases in 2009: By 2020, the carbon intensity of China's GDP will be
reduced by 40-45%. The country also put this restrictive index into
its long-term development plan for national economy and social
development, which was approved by its top legislature, the
National People's Congress, and therefore has legal binding
force.
While making the
pledge, China has already seen considerable results in emission
reduction. By the first half year of 2011, the carbon intensity of
the GDP had been reduced by 13 percent, compared with the number in
2005, and the reduction in carbon emission reached more than 1.5
billion tons. Last year, China exported 25 million tons of steel
products, 14 million tons of coke and many engineering goods,
containing considerable amounts of energy consumption and
greenhouse gases emission. Those products have increased China's
carbon dioxide emissions while reducing it for those import
countries.
As was declared
by the Chinese delegation in Durban on December 4, China will be
included in the framework convention that will have legal binding
force after 2020, and has laid down five conditions, one of them
being that as long as the principle of "common but differentiated
responsibilities" is carried out, China is willing to shoulder
responsibilities and obligations in accordance with its own
development period and level. This action once again shows China's
positive attitude and sincere demeanor. Just as Xie Zhenhua, head
of the Chinese delegation, said, China is willing to continue
making efforts with all other countries in the world.
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