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CLIMATE CHANGE: China’s Carbon Commitment—Low But Sure
By Antoaneta Bezlova
BEIJING, Nov 27, 2009 (IPS) - China and the United States are wrestling to claim leadership during the
upcoming climate change talks in Copenhagen, unveiling proposals to cut
greenhouse gases one after the other this week and setting the stage for some
tough negotiations. But gauntlets thrown, both face challenges in achieving their
pledged targets.
China—the world’s third largest economic power and its largest carbon
polluter—unveiled its first specific targets to slow carbon emissions. It also
announced that premier Wen Jiabao would attend the United Nations summit
on global climate change in Copenhagen next month.
The announcement came a day after Washington put its own proposal for
reducing emissions on the negotiating table for the first time and said that
President Barack Obama would join the meeting.
"At a time like this, everyone wants to take the high moral ground and no one
wants to be blamed should talks in Copenhagen fail," said Wu Changhua,
Greater China director for Climate Group, a Britain-based non-profit
organisation.
But the two proposals differ substantially. The United States—the country
with the highest per capita emissions—pledged to cut its greenhouse gas
emissions by 17 percent below 2005 levels by 2020, and by 83 percent by
2050. It is the first firm commitment made by a U.S. administration on
emissions reduction, which experts nevertheless say falls short on
recommendations by the U.N. climate panel.
China’s own commitment is deemed wanting. Instead of promising to cut
overall emissions by a certain date, the communist state said it would reduce
emissions in proportion to the overall size of its economy.
The Chinese State Council, or Cabinet, said China would aim to cut carbon
intensity—the amount of carbon dioxide emissions per unit of gross domestic
product—by a range of 40 to 45 percent by 2020. Given the size and rapid
growth of Chinese economy, this essentially means that emissions could still
go up but not at the same rate as before.
"We will have to pay a high price to reach this target," Xie Zhenhua, deputy
head of the National Development and Reform Commissions, the country’s
top planning body, said at a press conference Thursday.
Beijing added a condition to its pledge—it would be a domestic commitment,
incorporated into the country’s mid- and long-term development plans and
verified by domestic means. Although a voluntary one, it is internationally
binding, Xie Zhenhua added.
"As we have made this commitment, well, Chinese people stick to their word,"
Xie told the press. The Thursday event originally scheduled for Friday was
brought forward to follow on the heels of the U.S. announcement of its
emission targets.
"Given the urgency and magnitude of the climate change crisis, China needs
stronger measures to tackle climate change," said Ailun Yang of Greenpeace
China. "This is a significant announcement at a very important point in time.
But China could do more."
As a developing country, China is exempt from caps on its emissions and
maintains this should remain a founding principle of any new deal that comes
out of Copenhagen to replace the existing Kyoto Protocol.
Yet China has been spurred into action by a series of new announcements by
other emerging countries, which have all manifested readiness to act. Several
big developing nations like Brazil and Indonesia have all pledged to reduce
their emissions. South Korea said it would set a reduction target of 21 to 30
percent, whatever happens in Copenhagen.
China’s emission targets appear to be in line with what has already been
planned to steer the country on a path to greener and more sustainable
growth. Instead of aiming for drastic cuts that may put brakes on economic
expansion, the government plans to rev up investment in renewable, nuclear
and clean coal energy, as well as continuing to improve the efficiency of its
energy use.
Some analysts believe that although China’s targets appear to be on the
lower end, the undertaken commitment is huge in terms of implementation.
"It is a very political process, and 40 percent reduction will be a huge
commitment," said Wu Changhua.
"In China, if the president says it, we know it will de done. In the U.S., it does
not necessarily mean action," she said, referring to the battle faced by the
U.S. administration to get any reached agreement in Copenhagen through the
U.S. Congress.
Beijing insists that the West, which it says is historically responsible for the
accumulated emissions in the atmosphere, should take the initiative to
negotiate and implement a deal. Chinese officials have proposed that
developed nations contribute one percent of gross domestic product to
subsidise efforts by poorer countries to reduce emissions.
Announcing China’s new targets, Xie Zhenhua said Beijing now expects "real
action" by the West on funding and technical assistance before the
Copenhagen meeting.
(END)
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