Chinese experts say country to honor carbon-reduction pledges

Dec 19, 2009, 9:40 GMT

Beijing - Chinese climate experts maintained Saturday that China would reach its voluntary targets to reduce its greenhouse gas emissions regardless of whether a strong agreement was reached at the Copenhagen climate summit.

'The Chinese government has been very careful about making and keeping promises,' Qi Ye, a climate policy expert at Qinghua University, told the official Xinhua news agency as Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao returned to Beijing Saturday from the talks in the Danish capital.

'Even if the Copenhagen conference ends with no strong operational agreements, China will continue its carbon emissions reductions in a practical way,' Qi said.

China and the United States, the two biggest greenhouse gas emitters, brokered an agreement in Copenhagen Saturday that even its authors described as an insufficient deal aimed at slowing global warming after 11th-hour discussions as the UN summit wound down.

The agreement backs scientists' calls to limit global warming to within 2 degrees centigrade against pre-industrial levels.

But it contains no improved targets on greenhouse gas emissions from rich nations and does not commit anyone to a legally binding cuts. Attempts to reach an effective treaty are to now be taken up next year.

Experts in China criticized developed countries for failing to accept a larger share of the responsibility for reducing the impacts of climate change.

'Developed countries must take their due historical responsibilities and take the lead in dealing with the issue,' Sun Honglie, a member of the Chinese Academy of Sciences and member of China's national climate change expert committee, was quoted as saying by Xinhua.

However, Sun also acknowledged the challenges that China would face in its efforts to cut its carbon emissions.

'The energy intensity in China is several times higher than that of developed countries, resulting in serious energy waste and environmental pollution,' Sun said. 'China has to take the road of an energy-saving and eco-friendly economy.'

China has pledged to reduce carbon emissions per unit of its gross domestic product in 2020 by 40 to 45 per cent on 2005 levels.