Premier Wen's attendance in Copenhagen sends hope to world

• Source: Xinhua
• [11:10 December 20 2009]
• Comments

THIRD, DEEPEN INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY'S UNDERSTANDING OF CHINA

Yang said that China had made great efforts in tackling climate change and gained remarkable achievements which won praise from the whole international community. However, some countries still had misunderstanding and doubts about China and thus demanded unreasonable requirements.

Facing pressures, the premier has forth facts to the world in a bid to reason things out. He said China was the first developing country to adopt and implement a National Climate Change Program, and had made the most intensive efforts in energy conservation and pollution reduction in recent years. He said China had enjoyed the fastest growth of new energy and renewable energy, and had the largest area of man-made forests in the world. China had made no less efforts than any developed country in tackling climate change.

He said that, as a developing country, China was now at an important stage of accelerated industrialization and urbanization, and, given the predominant role of coal in its energy mix, China was confronted with special difficulties in emissions reduction. China had set the new target of cutting carbon dioxide emissions per unit of GDP by 40-45 percent by 2020 from the 2005 level. To reduce carbon dioxide emissions on such a large scale and over such a period of time would require tremendous efforts. The target would be incorporated into China's mid- and long-term plans for national economic and social development as a mandatory one to ensure that its implementation was subject to the supervision by the domestic law and public opinion. China would more actively engage in international exchange, dialogue and cooperation on the release of emission reduction information.

The Chinese government had made it clear that China's commitment on mitigation actions was based on ongoing scientific research and assessment, Wen said. It was not conditioned on or linked with commitments by any other countries, developed or developing alike. "It's non-negotiable and unconditional."

At the conference, the Chinese delegation set up a Chinese news and communication center through which officials, experts and delegates from enterprises communicated with foreign media and others, making an all-round brief of Chinese policies and measures on reducing emissions.

Many developing countries hailed China's example to the international society in tackling climate change. Some developed countries also said China had set up ambitious and impressive targets on controlling the emissions of carbon dioxide. Some foreign experts even pointed out that no matter how it was evaluated, China's promise to reduce greenhouse gas emissions was strong and vigorous and the rebuke to China was "dishonest."

Yang said ahead lay heavy responsibilities and a long way to go in tackling climate change. The Copenhagen conference was not a destination but a new beginning. Each country should comply with the principle of "common but differentiated responsibilities," honor their word and fulfill their obligations. Just as Premier Wen stated in his speech, China would consistently stick to the policy of sustainable development and be fully committed to achieving and even exceeding its emission cut target, and China was also willing to join hands with international society to promote the historic process for the human beings to tackle climate change.