The Kyoto Protocol should not be replaced by any new agreement being proposed by developed countries as it is intended to evade their responsibilities in reducing emissions so far, China’s foreign ministry has said.
“Strict compliance with the Kyoto Protocol is of vital significance for successful international cooperation in the area of climate change. But some developed countries have failed to achieve the target of reducing greenhouse gas emissions set by the Kyoto Protocol even while increasing their emissions by a large margin,” spokeswoman Jiang Yu said at a regular briefing in the capital.
The Protocol sets binding targets for 37 industrialized countries and the European nations for reducing greenhouse gas emissions, amounting to an average of five percent against 1990 levels over the five-year period from 2008 to 2012.
“It is quite obvious that some developed countries are trying to evade their emission reduction responsibilities by putting forward a new agreement to replace the Kyoto Protocol,” Jiang added.
“To ensure the success of international cooperation, efforts should be made to confirm the substantial greenhouse gas emission reduction targets for the developed countries during the Kyoto Protocol’s second commitment period. For those developed countries who have not ratified the Kyoto Protocol, we should also make sure that they fulfill emission reduction commitments comparable to other developed countries,” she added.
“China upholds a legally binding agreement reached by negotiations, but all of those efforts should be made on basis of the Kyoto Protocol and the Bali Road Map,” Jiang said at the briefing.
“The principle of “common but differentiated responsibilities”, adopted by the Kyoto Protocol, is the foundation for a successful negotiation,” Jiang said.
If the developed and the developing countries are treated equally on the emission reduction targets, the negotiations would not be carried forward and developing countries, including China, will not accept it, she stressed.
“Effective institutional arrangements should be made to ensure that the developed countries provide support to the developing ones. The help can come in the form of funds, technology transfer and capacity building, according to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change and the Bali Road Map,” Jiang said.
“Under the framework of sustainable development, the developing countries can take appropriate mitigation actions based on their respective national conditions,” Jiang added.
