Ed Miliband, the UK Energy and Climate Change Minister gives a speech calling China to take a leadership and play an important role in global climate changes in China's prestigious Peking University on May 4, the National Youth Day and the 90th anniversary of the May Fourth movement in Beijing.
World leaders will meet in Copenhagen, Denmark to work out a new treaty to replace the Kyoto Protocol in December. "I have come to China to talk to members of the government and others about climate change because this year is a particularly important year," Miliband said.
Growth: a resurgent China
Miliband said the rise of China is seen as one of the most significant event of his lifetime. The government and businesses in UK support China's growth. The UK is the leading destination for Chinese investment into Europe and in turn Britain invests more in China than any other European countries.
For all countries, the recent financial crisis has sent shockwaves through the economies and none of the two countries have been immune. However, both UK and China know how important it is to rebuild the financial system on a sounder footing.
"We now know how important it is to rebuild our financial system on a sounder footing," Miliband noted. As the financial crisis was a hidden vulnerability which unaddressed has significant consequences, UK and China also face the same situation with the climate crisis.
Climate change makes more profound existing issues, like the growing need for food and water. "If we don’t act, scientists tell us that the world will get 5 degrees centigrade hotter by 2100, and all the evidence is that China’s temperatures will rise more than the global average," Miliband said.
It could mean the Himalayan glaciers melting, the rivers beneath them flooding then running dry; it could also mean cereal crops declining, the risk of hunger being faced by up to 600 million more people worldwide – and in China a fall in rice yields of up to ten per cent.
That’s why the world is so focused on preventing climate change beyond 2 degrees. "Up to this level will see very great challenges for our countries, beyond will see far worse, uncontrollable effects," the minister added.
Leadership: a responsible China not just acting but inspiring
According to Miliband, UK and China can jointly tackle the problem, on the basis of common but differentiated responsibilities: everyone acting, but on the basis of responsibility and capacity to do so. He believed that rich countries have the moral responsibility and a historic obligation to take the lead.
The minister said rich countries should act at home and they should also spur each other on, and that is why UK has pressed for ambitious action in the European Union, and now Europe has committed as a continent to cut emissions by 20 per cent by 2020, or 30 per cent if there is a global deal.
In the US, President Bush envisaged US emissions continuing to rise until 2025. President Obama has said they will cut emissions well before then, falling back to 1990 levels by 2020.
As an emergent great power, China, too, has the ability not just to act but to lead; to be great not just in size but in influence; to energize others around the world.
So far Chins is working on measures to reduce energy intensity of the economy through the 1980 and 1990s from three times what it is today and planning to double the forest coverage over the same time. Meanwhile, China is also taking actions to further reduce energy intensity in the five-year plan and realize the target of 15 percent renewable power by 2020.
"So there is great potential for us to act together, on the basis of our responsibilities. But the clear message I want to say, is that there is huge scope for China, through its commitments, to encourage others to go further and to increase global action. China has an ability to lead," Miliband said.
Partnership: technology and finance
As the world is moving towards low carbon, there are huge industrial opportunities for Britain, China and other countries in this: these are the jobs of the future.
China is investing part of its stimulus plan in low carbon; Britain is preparing too for the low carbon economy of the future.
"Co-operation can benefit both of our countries. Today, we are announcing a joint venture between the Carbon Trust and the China Energy Conservation Investment Corporation, with £10 million to help British and Chinese companies work together and learn from each other," the minister pointed out.
"We think there is £100 million of investment that will come from this co-operation, benefiting many British firms and opening new markets. These firms will benefit from investment by Chinese enterprises, developing low carbon technologies in China," he added.
And we need to look at this kind of co-operation in other areas, protecting intellectual property –as both of our countries would wish—but at the same time, working together where possible to drive the demonstration and development of new technologies forward.
Miliband said he would be working with China to make sure that the demonstration and development of carbon capture technology is an important part of any global climate change agreement. By working together, UK and China can protect the planet for future generations.
By People's Daily Online
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