UN: China pledges to cut emissions by 'notable margin'
Wed Sep 23 01:35:06 EST 2009
Tue Sep 22 15:35:06 UTC 2009
UNITED NATIONS, Sept 22 AFP - Chinese President Hu Jintao has pledged to curb China's carbon dioxide emissions by a "notable margin" by 2020 from their 2005 levels.
But Hu also told the UN General Assembly on Tuesday that the cuts would be measured by unit of Gross Domestic Product, in line with China's concerns about preserving its rapid economic growth.
"We will endeavour to cut carbon dioxide emissions per unit of GDP by a notable margin by 2020 from the 2005 level," Hu told a special summit on climate change.
Hu did not set a figure for the cuts. China and other developing nations have long resisted mandatory emission curbs as part of the next treaty on fighting climate change.
Hu also pledged to "vigorously" develop renewable energy and nuclear energy.
Hu, whose speech had been billed by China in advance as a major statement on slow-moving climate negotiations, stood by developing nations' position that rich states needed to do more because of their historic responsibility for the problem.
Climate change "is an environmental issue but also, and more importantly, a development issue," Hu said.
"At stake in the fight against climate change are the common interests of the entire world," Hu said, stressing that the "vast number" of developing nations were affected.
"Developed countries should fulfil the task of emission reduction set in the Kyoto Protocol, continue to undertake substantial mid-term quantified emission reduction targets and support developing countries in countering climate change," Hu said.
Nations are due to meet in December in Copenhagen to lay the framework for the successor to the landmark Kyoto Protocol, which required wealthy nations to cut greenhouse gas emissions.
Developed nations, while pledging to fight global warming, have insisted that emerging powers also commit to action as part of Kyoto's successor.
