Chinese ambassador to Belgium reiterates China's stance on climate change

Chinese Ambassador to Belgium Zhang Yuanyuan reiterated here on Tuesday China's stance on climate change and expressed hope of seeing an agreement reached by all countries in the climate talks in Copenhagen.

Developed countries should bear major responsibilities for cutting greenhouse gas emissions, as they have emitted most of the gases, Zhang said.

Statistics show that, for the 155 years between 1850 and 2005, countries around the world emitted 1.1222 trillion tons of carbon dioxide, among which developed countries emitted 806.5 billion tons, accounting for 72 percent of the total.

International cooperation in climate change must be guided by the principle of "common but differentiated responsibilities" (CBDR), and different countries should act in accordance with their respective responsibilities, the ambassador said.

However, the developed countries had not done their part properly so far and had been acting slowly in reducing emissions and providing financial support and climate-friendly technologies to developing countries, he said.

As a developing country, China's main goal still lay in eradicating poverty and developing its economy, he said.

"Climate change must not be addressed at the expense of development, nor should it be used to justify perpetuating poverty and backwardness," he said.

Acting as a responsible country, China had set its goal of greenhouse gas emissions reduction and had been adjusting its development mode to a green economy, Zhang said.

As for the ongoing UN climate change talks in Copenhagen, he said most countries wanted to reach an agreement to help them tackle climate change in the future. However, the talks faced major risks of backpedaling and talking tongue-in-cheek, which could lead to the collapse of the talks.

Zhang said the core of the climate change talks was about the right to development, and "the success of the Copenhagen Conference lies in its adherence to the UNFCCC (United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change) and the Kyoto Protocol, the principle of the CBDR and the mandate of the Bali Roadmap."

He looked forward to an agreement at the end of the talks in Copenhagen which would be acceptable for all. He reiterated that, no matter what the outcome of the talks might be, China would keep its promise on cutting greenhouse gas emissions.

Source: Xinhua