Ordie
05-21-2009, 01:31 PM
China: Developed Countries Must Cut Emissions by 40%
SHANGHAI -- China said in a document putting forward its demands for December climate talks in Copenhagen that developed nations must cut their greenhouse gas emissions by at least 40% by 2020 from 1990 levels.
China is also asking rich countries to donate at least 0.5% to 1% of their annual gross domestic product to help poorer countries cope with climate change and greenhouse gas emissions, it said in the document, which was posted on the Web site of the National Development and Reform Commission, the economic policy-making body that governs China's greenhouse gas emissions policy.
International negotiators are hoping to conclude a successor to the Kyoto Protocol, which expires at the end of 2012, in an effort to limit the growth of global-warming greenhouse gas emissions. The 40% target represents the high end of cuts in emissions mentioned in the 2007 Bali Roadmap, which stopped short of endorsing a specific target.
The talks in Copenhagen have taken on extra importance with the Obama administration's reversal of Bush policy by pushing to cap U.S. carbon emissions. On Monday, U.S. lawmakers kicked off debate on legislation creating a "cap and trade" system for curbing pollution.
The U.S. measure aims to reduce greenhouse gas emissions 17% from 2005 levels by 2020. Europe has pledged to cut emissions by at least 20% from 1990 levels by 2020, and by 30% if other advanced economies follow suit.
China has steadfastly resisted any mandatory quotas on carbon emissions – even though it is widely considered to have surpassed the U.S. as the world's top polluter.
But the change in the U.S. position is isolating China, which had argued that the U.S. should take steps before poorer nations, and raises the threat of a possible carbon tax on Chinese imports into the U.S. in order to appease U.S. manufacturers' complaints that Chinese goods could have an unfair advantage if not subjected to costly limits on greenhouse gasses.
India has also refused to accept any carbon caps, arguing like China that such caps would limit economic growth and unfairly penalize late developers. Europe and the U.S. have contributed the bulk of carbon already in the atmosphere and should bear a greater burden, they argue.
China said while rich nations should have quantified targets to radically reduce emissions, poorer countries should have "nationally appropriate," voluntary targets.
The document also made a veiled reference to the U.S., which has not ratified the Kyoto Protocol, saying wealthy nations that have not ratified the treaty should be assigned "comparable" targets for cutting emissions.
China is trying to reduce its carbon emissions by increasing energy efficiency. But critics say even if China burns relatively less coal to produce electricity, its overall growth rate -- electricity-generating capacity is expected to more than double 20 1,600 gigawatts by 2020 -- means that it will still keep adding too much carbon into the atmosphere.
According to Chinese government researchers, China would have to invest an extra 1 trillion yuan, or $146 billion, each year -- or at least 40 trillion yuan until 2050 -- in order to achieve living standards comparable to the West but with relatively low carbon emissions, the official China Daily said.
—Jing Yang and Shai Oster
Source:http://online.wsj.com/article/SB124290515793142949.html
SHANGHAI -- China said in a document putting forward its demands for December climate talks in Copenhagen that developed nations must cut their greenhouse gas emissions by at least 40% by 2020 from 1990 levels.
China is also asking rich countries to donate at least 0.5% to 1% of their annual gross domestic product to help poorer countries cope with climate change and greenhouse gas emissions, it said in the document, which was posted on the Web site of the National Development and Reform Commission, the economic policy-making body that governs China's greenhouse gas emissions policy.
International negotiators are hoping to conclude a successor to the Kyoto Protocol, which expires at the end of 2012, in an effort to limit the growth of global-warming greenhouse gas emissions. The 40% target represents the high end of cuts in emissions mentioned in the 2007 Bali Roadmap, which stopped short of endorsing a specific target.
The talks in Copenhagen have taken on extra importance with the Obama administration's reversal of Bush policy by pushing to cap U.S. carbon emissions. On Monday, U.S. lawmakers kicked off debate on legislation creating a "cap and trade" system for curbing pollution.
The U.S. measure aims to reduce greenhouse gas emissions 17% from 2005 levels by 2020. Europe has pledged to cut emissions by at least 20% from 1990 levels by 2020, and by 30% if other advanced economies follow suit.
China has steadfastly resisted any mandatory quotas on carbon emissions – even though it is widely considered to have surpassed the U.S. as the world's top polluter.
But the change in the U.S. position is isolating China, which had argued that the U.S. should take steps before poorer nations, and raises the threat of a possible carbon tax on Chinese imports into the U.S. in order to appease U.S. manufacturers' complaints that Chinese goods could have an unfair advantage if not subjected to costly limits on greenhouse gasses.
India has also refused to accept any carbon caps, arguing like China that such caps would limit economic growth and unfairly penalize late developers. Europe and the U.S. have contributed the bulk of carbon already in the atmosphere and should bear a greater burden, they argue.
China said while rich nations should have quantified targets to radically reduce emissions, poorer countries should have "nationally appropriate," voluntary targets.
The document also made a veiled reference to the U.S., which has not ratified the Kyoto Protocol, saying wealthy nations that have not ratified the treaty should be assigned "comparable" targets for cutting emissions.
China is trying to reduce its carbon emissions by increasing energy efficiency. But critics say even if China burns relatively less coal to produce electricity, its overall growth rate -- electricity-generating capacity is expected to more than double 20 1,600 gigawatts by 2020 -- means that it will still keep adding too much carbon into the atmosphere.
According to Chinese government researchers, China would have to invest an extra 1 trillion yuan, or $146 billion, each year -- or at least 40 trillion yuan until 2050 -- in order to achieve living standards comparable to the West but with relatively low carbon emissions, the official China Daily said.
—Jing Yang and Shai Oster
Source:http://online.wsj.com/article/SB124290515793142949.html