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China Says West Must Take Lead in Emission Cuts
Patrick Goodenough
Managing Editor
(Editor's note: Clarifies nature of carbon dioxide.) __
__ (CNSNews.com) - China, the world's second-largest emitter of carbon dioxide, says Western industrialized nations must take the lead in cutting "greenhouse gas" emissions.
"The developed countries must fulfill the obligation of emission reduction and take emission reduction measures," Beijing foreign ministry spokeswoman Jiang Yu told a press briefing this week.
Developed nations have an "unshirkable responsibility," Jiang said, adding that "at present, developing countries have low emissions and small potential for emission reduction."
In fact, China is the second-largest producer of CO2, after the United States. Scientists who support the thesis of human-induced global warming say CO2 is the most damaging greenhouse gas.
The U.S. Department of Energy's Energy Information Administration projects that China will overtake the U.S. as the largest CO2 producer by 2015, and the World Bank agrees that if current trends continue China will lead the field by 2020.
Some studies say the growth of China's emissions is slower than expected.
In her comments, Jiang cited the Kyoto Protocol, the 1997 international treaty that requires industrialized countries to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by an average of five percent by 2012.
The U.S. and Australia alone among industrialized nations rejected the protocol, which entered into force two years ago, arguing that its legally mandated emission cuts would harm their workers and economies.
Beyond the economic concerns, another sticking-point for both the U.S. and Australia was the fact that Kyoto does not require nations like China and India to cut their emissions. India is also already a big CO2 producer.
While China, India and others are expected to take voluntary steps to limit emissions, Kyoto exempts them from mandatory reductions because they are considered "developing" nations.
Jiang told the briefing that her country "is willing to make its due contribution to respond to climate change according to our strategy of sustainable development."
"In recent years, we have made remarkable achievements in adopting powerful measures including adjustment to industries and energy structure, afforestation, population control, drawing up a series of laws and regulations ... and popularizing knowledge of environmental protection," she said.
China and India in 2005 agreed to join a new Asia-Pacific climate partnership that also involves the U.S. and Australia, as well as Japan and South Korea.
The U.S.-led initiative has the stated goal of countering climate change through technological advances and does not envisage Kyoto-type mandatory emission curbs.
Make media inquiries or request an interview about this article.
E-mail a comment or news tip to Patrick Goodenough.
__
__ (CNSNews.com) - China, the world's second-largest emitter of carbon dioxide, says Western industrialized nations must take the lead in cutting "greenhouse gas" emissions.
"The developed countries must fulfill the obligation of emission reduction and take emission reduction measures," Beijing foreign ministry spokeswoman Jiang Yu told a press briefing this week.
Developed nations have an "unshirkable responsibility," Jiang said, adding that "at present, developing countries have low emissions and small potential for emission reduction."
In fact, China is the second-largest producer of CO2, after the United States. Scientists who support the thesis of human-induced global warming say CO2 is the most damaging greenhouse gas.
The U.S. Department of Energy's Energy Information Administration projects that China will overtake the U.S. as the largest CO2 producer by 2015, and the World Bank agrees that if current trends continue China will lead the field by 2020.
Some studies say the growth of China's emissions is slower than expected.
In her comments, Jiang cited the Kyoto Protocol, the 1997 international treaty that requires industrialized countries to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by an average of five percent by 2012.
The U.S. and Australia alone among industrialized nations rejected the protocol, which entered into force two years ago, arguing that its legally mandated emission cuts would harm their workers and economies.
Beyond the economic concerns, another sticking-point for both the U.S. and Australia was the fact that Kyoto does not require nations like China and India to cut their emissions. India is also already a big CO2 producer.
While China, India and others are expected to take voluntary steps to limit emissions, Kyoto exempts them from mandatory reductions because they are considered "developing" nations.
Jiang told the briefing that her country "is willing to make its due contribution to respond to climate change according to our strategy of sustainable development."
"In recent years, we have made remarkable achievements in adopting powerful measures including adjustment to industries and energy structure, afforestation, population control, drawing up a series of laws and regulations ... and popularizing knowledge of environmental protection," she said.
China and India in 2005 agreed to join a new Asia-Pacific climate partnership that also involves the U.S. and Australia, as well as Japan and South Korea.
The U.S.-led initiative has the stated goal of countering climate change through technological advances and does not envisage Kyoto-type mandatory emission curbs.
Make media inquiries or request an interview about this article.
E-mail a comment or news tip to Patrick Goodenough.
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