US, China pledge to rescue Copenhagen climate talks

Nov 17, 2009, 10:42 GMT

   Beijing - US President Barack Obama and his Chinese counterpart, Hu Jintao, on Tuesday promised a 'vigorous response' to climate change and said they would cooperate to rescue key global talks on reductions of carbon emissions in Copenhagen early next month.

   In a joint statement, the two sides said climate change was 'one of the greatest challenges of our time' and agreed that a 'vigorous response is necessary and that international cooperation is indispensable in responding to this challenge.'

   'As the two largest consumers and producers of energy, there can be no solution to this challenge without the efforts of both China and the United States,' Obama told reporters as he stood next to Hu at Beijing's Great Hall of the People.

   'That's why we've agreed to a series of important new initiatives in this area,' he said.

   The two presidents said they would create a joint clean energy research centre, and had agreed cooperation on energy efficiency, renewable energy, clean coal, electric vehicles and shale gas.

    'We also agreed to work toward a successful outcome in Copenhagen,' Obama said.

   'Our aim there, in support of what Prime Minister Rasmussen of Denmark is trying to achieve, is not a partial accord or a political declaration, but rather an accord that covers all of the issues in the negotiations, and one that has immediate operational effect,' he said.

   Obama said China and the United States 'agreed that each of us would take significant mitigation actions' matching their commitments.

   But it was not clear if Obama meant that it was still possible to conclude a binding legal agreement in Copenhagen, after weekend reports suggested that US officials were resigned to working for a weaker 'political agreement' instead.

   The joint statement said both sides 'believe that, while striving for final legal agreement, an agreed outcome at Copenhagen should... include emission reduction targets of developed countries and nationally appropriate mitigation actions of developing countries.'

   China and the United States are the world's biggest polluters by total volume of carbon emissions.

   On Tuesday, they said they were 'convinced of the need to address climate change in a manner that respects the priority of economic and social development in developing countries.'

   'Transitioning to a low-carbon economy is an opportunity to promote continued economic growth and sustainable development in all countries,' they said in the statement.

   'The two sides are committed to working together and with other countries in the weeks ahead for a successful outcome at Copenhagen,' they said.

   International leaders plan to meet in Copenhagen December 7-18 to try to reach an agreement that would replace the Kyoto Protocol and regulate carbon emissions, which affect global climates. The current protocol expires in 2012.

   China and other developing nations support the UN principle of 'common but differentiated responsibilities' for reducing carbon emissions.

   They have long argued that developed countries have generated the largest amounts of greenhouse gases and should bear a greater burden in reducing them, while allowing developing nations to use economic development to raise their standards of living and reduce poverty.