Asian giants seem reluctant to commit, COP 15
Release Date: 2009-04-07
Bonn: Despite greening their policies at home neither China nor India are willing to accept specific CO2 reduction targets. Both put economic growth first.
During ongoing negotiations in Bonn – laying down a part of the foundation for the UN Climate Conference in Copenhagen in December – both China and India have indicated that they cannot support a climate deal if it means a slow-down to their economic growth, reports The Times of India quoting Yvo de Boer, Execute Secretary of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC).
"Both of those countries are increasingly taking action – at home – not waiting for an agreement," says de Boer, while noting that both China and India have "if only out of self-interest" implemented steps to adapt to climate change effects within food and water supply.
"That was translated into (…) ambitious national strategies to tackle climate change (…) and to limit the growth of emissions."
According to The Times of India Mr. de Boer recognizes the need by the two Asian countries to sustain economic growth:
"That's why for me this whole notion of clean growth is so important. A climate change response that strangles world economic growth and locks countries into poverty is not the way we need to be moving forward."
On China specifically Yvo de Boer says:
"China is already the leading investor worldwide into renewable sources of energy. China has a huge ambition in terms of industrial energy efficiency improvements and in terms of creating sustainable cities."
According to Mail & Guardian (South Africa) Mr. Yuan Si, a member of the Standing Committee of China's National People's Congress, was even more frank as he spoke at a recent event in Washington:
"One feature is that China's emissions are subsistence emissions. China has the right to make people's lives better. To achieve that goal, China has to consume some energy and has to make some greenhouse emissions."
| Type: | NORMAL |
| Company: | COP 15 |
| Country: | Denmark |
| Url: | http://en.cop15.dk/news/view+news?newsid=1053 |