China has raised the stakes in the game of “climate poker” being played here yesterday by affirming publicly and for the first time that it would be willing to sign up for a legally-binding international agreement to combat global warming.
On a blustery day in the South African city of Durban, China’s chief negotiator, Xie Zhenhua, told a packed press briefing his country, the world’s number one carbon emitter, would be prepared to negotiate such a deal if the EU and others renewed the Kyoto protocol.
Mr Xie, who is vice-chairman of China’s National Development and Reform Commission, spelled out a number of other conditions, including the delivery of promised aid to poorer developing countries to help them cope with the impacts of climate change.
He said China has “deeply suffered from climate change, and fully understands the losses suffered by less-developed countries and small island states”, which are pushing hard for a deal in Durban that would result in a treaty being adopted in 2015.
China also favours a more robust international framework for reporting on greenhouse-gas emissions, a scientific review of the voluntary pledges made in Copenhagen two years ago and recognition of “common but differentiated responsibilities”.
Mr Xie described the renewal of Kyoto, which is due to expire next year, as “the most important issue of Durban”. But the EU is almost alone in its willingness to renew the protocol, subject to others agreeing to a “roadmap” towards a new treaty in 2015.
Asked about China’s reaction to the fact Japan, Russia and Canada have said they would not sign up for a renewal of Kyoto – thereby reducing by half the volume of emissions it would cover – he said: “I hope these countries can find the right position for themselves.”
Maite Nkoana-Mashabane, the South African minister for international relations who is presiding at the UN conference, welcomed the progress made before ministers arrived. “China is laying its cards on the table, and I’m sure others will be doing that too.”
But JM Muskar, head of the Indian delegation, said the objective should not be to launch negotiations for a new treaty but rather to “enhance implementation of the principles and provisions of the existing and valid climate treaty”. In other words, Kyoto.
US special envoy for climate change Todd Stern, who has been holding informal meetings with other parties in Durban since last Friday, said he hadn’t talked to Mr Xie yet but would be seeing him this morning to discuss the “balanced package” Durban should produce.
Responding to questions from reporters, Mr Stern said: “China and us are not at loggerheads at all. We see eye-to-eye and have a good relationship on this issue.” But he said the US did not favour a “Swiss cheese kind of agreement” that would be full of holes.
“What matters, and this is going to be absolutely critical, is that all the major players, including China, are going to have to be in [any binding international agreement] with obligations, commitments with the same legal force, not conditional on financing, and no trap doors.”
Nicholas Stern, who produced an influential report on the economics of climate change in 2006, said a “new-energy industrial revolution” was required to achieve “radical” cuts in emissions if the world was to have a chance of containing global warming.
As of yesterday, 194 countries – practically the entire planet – are represented at the Durban conference, which has attracted a total of 15,746 participants, including a “very significant media representation from all continents”, according to Kevin Grose of the UN secretariat.
