Developed countries
should clarify the exact quantities of substantial emission
reductions needed during the extension period of the Kyoto
Protocol, China's top climate change official said on Tuesday,
ahead of next week's climate talks in Durban, South
Africa.
"The Kyoto Protocol
is an important and legallybinding multi-lateral agreement and
must be adhered to during the upcoming climate talks," Xie Zhenhua,
a deputydirector of the National Development and Reform Commission
and head of China's delegation to Durban, said at a press
conference.
"Developed countries
outside the protocol ought to define their emission reduction
commitment, and their commitment should be comparable to those of
signatory countries," Xie said.
Xie made the remarks
after a government white paper titled China's Policies and Actions
for Addressing Climate Change was released, which unveiled
Beijing's expectations for the Durban meeting and the country's
future climate change plan.
The paper said the
emission reductions plan for developed countries in the second
period should be made clear as soon as possible so as to allow no
gap between the two commitment periods.
"The conference
should specify ... arrangements for adaptation, funding,
technological transfer and capacity building... make the differences
in emission reduction responsibilities transparent... between
developed and developing countries," the paper said.
"The international
community still needs to provide effective support in funds and
technological transfers to developing countries," it
added.
Wu Changhua, the
Greater China director of the Climate Group, a London-based
environment NGO, said that most developing countries are keen on
the second commitment period, which will give them a chance to grow
their economies without legally-binding carbon targets.
However, the
so-called "umbrella group," which includes Australia, Norway, the
US, Japan, Russia and Canada, do not want an extension period, Wu
told the Global Times.
Russia, Canada and
Japan said the protocol would be meaningless if the world's two
biggest emitters, China and the US, do not sign up to binding
curbs, Reuters reported.
The EU expressed a
similar stance, saying that it can accept a continuation of the
protocol, provided China and the US show they are serious about
major cuts after 2020.
Xie said on Tuesday
that China will wait until a new round of scientific assessments
come out in 2015 to determine future emission reduction
levels.
"Countries should
first meet their pre-2020 commitments. After that, in line with the
principal of common but differentiated responsibilities, China will
fulfill its due obligations in accordance with its development
stage. There is no question about that," Xie argued.
"Commitment to the
protocol is a foundation of political trust. China will stick to
the same stance as other developing nations in pursuing a second
commitment period of the protocol," Xie added.
In 2009, China
pledged to reduce its carbonintensity by 40 to 45 percent by 2020
as compared with 2005 levels.
Wu said Xie's remarks
were in response to the EU position, and that it is now Europe's
turn to decide whether a united front can be presented by developed
countries.
Xie also called for
progress in Durban on establishing a financing mechanism to help
developing countries cope with global warming.
"We understand the
difficulties facing Western countries, but the problem we are
talking about now is a long-term financing mechanism while the
economic problems are temporary," he noted.
Wu named fund-raising
and management mechanisms for the fund as potential breakthroughs
in Durban, but said expectations are low, given the frustrations
seen in Copenhagen two years ago.
Meanwhile, the white
paper said China will prioritize climate change work during its
12th Five-Year Plan (2011-2015).
China will cut carbon
dioxide emission and energyconsumption per-unit GDP by 17 percent
and 16 percent respectively by 2015 compared with 2010 levels, the
paper revealed.
However, Xie
acknowledged that China's current greenhouse gas emissions are huge
and that their increase is very rapid as a result of the country's
ongoing urbanization.
"Energy intensity
fell by only 1.6 percent in the first nine months, posing a great
challenge to meet this year's goal of a 3 to 3.5 percent
reduction," Xie said.
Delegates from nearly
200 countries will meet from Monday till December 9 in
Durban.
The Kyoto Protocol
came into effect on February 16, 2005 after being ratified by 141
countries and regions. The US signed the protocol in 1998 but has
so far failed to ratify it into law.
The first commitment
period of the 1997 protocol, which sets emissions caps on about 40
rich nations, expires at the end of 2012.
Wen Ya and agencies
contributed to the story
原文地址：
should clarify the exact quantities of substantial emission
reductions needed during the extension period of the Kyoto
Protocol, China's top climate change official said on Tuesday,
ahead of next week's climate talks in Durban, South
Africa.
"The Kyoto Protocol
is an important and legallybinding multi-lateral agreement and
must be adhered to during the upcoming climate talks," Xie Zhenhua,
a deputydirector of the National Development and Reform Commission
and head of China's delegation to Durban, said at a press
conference.
"Developed countries
outside the protocol ought to define their emission reduction
commitment, and their commitment should be comparable to those of
signatory countries," Xie said.
Xie made the remarks
after a government white paper titled China's Policies and Actions
for Addressing Climate Change was released, which unveiled
Beijing's expectations for the Durban meeting and the country's
future climate change plan.
The paper said the
emission reductions plan for developed countries in the second
period should be made clear as soon as possible so as to allow no
gap between the two commitment periods.
"The conference
should specify ... arrangements for adaptation, funding,
technological transfer and capacity building... make the differences
in emission reduction responsibilities transparent... between
developed and developing countries," the paper said.
"The international
community still needs to provide effective support in funds and
technological transfers to developing countries," it
added.
Wu Changhua, the
Greater China director of the Climate Group, a London-based
environment NGO, said that most developing countries are keen on
the second commitment period, which will give them a chance to grow
their economies without legally-binding carbon targets.
However, the
so-called "umbrella group," which includes Australia, Norway, the
US, Japan, Russia and Canada, do not want an extension period, Wu
told the Global Times.
Russia, Canada and
Japan said the protocol would be meaningless if the world's two
biggest emitters, China and the US, do not sign up to binding
curbs, Reuters reported.
The EU expressed a
similar stance, saying that it can accept a continuation of the
protocol, provided China and the US show they are serious about
major cuts after 2020.
Xie said on Tuesday
that China will wait until a new round of scientific assessments
come out in 2015 to determine future emission reduction
levels.
"Countries should
first meet their pre-2020 commitments. After that, in line with the
principal of common but differentiated responsibilities, China will
fulfill its due obligations in accordance with its development
stage. There is no question about that," Xie argued.
"Commitment to the
protocol is a foundation of political trust. China will stick to
the same stance as other developing nations in pursuing a second
commitment period of the protocol," Xie added.
In 2009, China
pledged to reduce its carbonintensity by 40 to 45 percent by 2020
as compared with 2005 levels.
Wu said Xie's remarks
were in response to the EU position, and that it is now Europe's
turn to decide whether a united front can be presented by developed
countries.
Xie also called for
progress in Durban on establishing a financing mechanism to help
developing countries cope with global warming.
"We understand the
difficulties facing Western countries, but the problem we are
talking about now is a long-term financing mechanism while the
economic problems are temporary," he noted.
Wu named fund-raising
and management mechanisms for the fund as potential breakthroughs
in Durban, but said expectations are low, given the frustrations
seen in Copenhagen two years ago.
Meanwhile, the white
paper said China will prioritize climate change work during its
12th Five-Year Plan (2011-2015).
China will cut carbon
dioxide emission and energyconsumption per-unit GDP by 17 percent
and 16 percent respectively by 2015 compared with 2010 levels, the
paper revealed.
However, Xie
acknowledged that China's current greenhouse gas emissions are huge
and that their increase is very rapid as a result of the country's
ongoing urbanization.
"Energy intensity
fell by only 1.6 percent in the first nine months, posing a great
challenge to meet this year's goal of a 3 to 3.5 percent
reduction," Xie said.
Delegates from nearly
200 countries will meet from Monday till December 9 in
Durban.
The Kyoto Protocol
came into effect on February 16, 2005 after being ratified by 141
countries and regions. The US signed the protocol in 1998 but has
so far failed to ratify it into law.
The first commitment
period of the 1997 protocol, which sets emissions caps on about 40
rich nations, expires at the end of 2012.
Wen Ya and agencies
contributed to the story
原文地址：
- climate [´klaimit]
n.气候；特殊气候地带 (初中英语单词) - agreement [ə´gri:mənt] n.同意；一致；协议 (初中英语单词)
- director [di´rektə] n.指导者；....长；导演 (初中英语单词)
- reform [ri´fɔ:m] v.&n.改革；改良；革除 (初中英语单词)
- transfer [træns´fə:] v.&n.迁移；调动；转让 (初中英语单词)
- capacity [kə´pæsiti] n.容量；智能；能力 (初中英语单词)
- reduction [ri´dʌkʃən] n.减少；缩小；降低 (初中英语单词)
- effective [i´fektiv] a.有效的；有力的 (初中英语单词)
- carbon [´kɑ:bən] n.碳；(一张)复写纸 (初中英语单词)
- scientific [,saiən´tifik] a.科学(上)的 (初中英语单词)
- foundation [faun´deiʃən] n.建立；基金；地基 (初中英语单词)
- western [´westən] a.西的；西方的 (初中英语单词)
- management [´mænidʒmənt] n.管理；处理；经营 (初中英语单词)
- energy [´enədʒi] n.活力，精力；能力 (初中英语单词)
- substantial [səb´stænʃəl] a.实质的，真的 (高中英语单词)
- extension [ik´stenʃən] n.延长；扩展；延期 (高中英语单词)
- deputy [´depjuti] n.代理人；代表 (高中英语单词)
- define [di´fain] vt.解释；说明；限定 (高中英语单词)
- norway [´nɔ:wei] n.挪威 (高中英语单词)
- saying [´seiŋ, ´sei-iŋ] n.言语；言论；格言 (高中英语单词)
- accordance [ə´kɔ:dəns] n.一致；调和 (高中英语单词)
- intensity [in´tensiti] a.激烈；强度；深度 (高中英语单词)
- response [ri´spɔns] n.回答；响应 (高中英语单词)
- potential [pə´tenʃəl] n.&a.潜在的；可能的 (高中英语单词)
- consumption [kən´sʌmpʃən] n.消耗；结核病 (高中英语单词)
- binding [´baindiŋ] a.捆绑的 n.捆绑(物) (英语四级单词)
- comparable [´kɔmpərəbəl] a.可比较的；类似的 (英语四级单词)
- adaptation [ædæp´teiʃən] n.适应；改写(本) (英语四级单词)
- continuation [kən,tinju´eiʃən] n.继续(部分)；续篇 (英语四级单词)
- mechanism [´mekənizəm] n.机械装置；机制 (英语四级单词)
- respectively [ri´spektivli] ad.各自地；分别地 (英语四级单词)
- ratify [´rætifai] vt.批准；认可 (英语四级单词)
- legally [´li:gəli] ad.合法地 (英语六级单词)
- delegation [,deli´geiʃən] n.代表团 (英语六级单词)
- specify [´spesifai] vt.指定；详述；说明 (英语六级单词)
- greenhouse [´gri:nhaus] n.温室，玻璃暖房 (英语六级单词)
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