Top envoy not 'seeking excuse'

Beijing will continue its commitment to climate fight

China's determination to combat global warming will not be shaken, though its top climate change envoy said yesterday he was keeping an open mind on whether global warming was man-made or the result of natural cycles.

Lu Xuedu, deputy director of the National Climate Center, reaffirmed China's commitment when commenting on envoy Xie Zhenhua's remarks that there was no doubt that warming was taking place, but more and better scientific research was needed to establish the causes.

"The two things (commitment and climate debate) are separate and I agree with what Xie has expressed," Lu, also a senior climate change negotiator, told China Daily yesterday. "We should keep a scientific attitude and lend ears to the scientists who hold various views."

When Xie made his remarks in New Delhi yesterday, at the end of a two-day meeting of ministers from the BASIC countries - China, India, Brazil and South Africa -Western media reported that his open-minded attitude "surprised" the summit.

But Lu said there is no need to play it up. "Xie just revealed his personal attitude on climate science, and of course, we should pay attention to opposite views during the climatic debate."

According to Lu, at least 10 percent of climate scientists in the world didn't believe that global warming is man-made. "Their views have pushed forward the progress of climatic science."

Responding to a question about the controversy over The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) admission that it made a mistake when it asserted that Himalayan glaciers could disappear by 2035, and to fresh doubts cast on the link between global warming and extreme weather events, Xie said there were still "disputes" in the scientific community over the causes.

"I think we need to adopt an open attitude to the scientific research. We need to be as inclusive as possible of all kinds of views concerning this, because we want our views to be more scientific and to be more consistent," Xie said.

Asked later to clarify his remarks, he said: "It is already a solid fact that the climate is warming. The scientists have already shown that the global climate is warming.

"Due to the climate change influences, the countries that have been actively impacted most are developing countries, in particular those small island countries. And the major reason for this climate change issue is the unconstrained emissions produced by developed countries in the process of their industrialization," Xie said.

"That is the mainstream view, but our attitude is open, we need to have more studies. But this shall not impede our efforts to combat climate change."

The BASIC countries expressed their intention to communicate information on their voluntary mitigation actions to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) by Jan 31.

The BASIC members have already announced a series of voluntary mitigation actions for 2020.

China has said it would cut its "carbon intensity" - a measure of carbon dioxide emissions per unit of GDP - 40 percent by 2020. The UNFCCC has asked countries to submit their stand on the legally non-binding Copenhagen Accord arrived at in the Danish capital last month, by January 31.

Also as vice-minister of National Development and Reform Commission from China, Xie said the BASIC group's objectives were consistent with the interests of the developing countries. "BASIC will take the lead in large-scale emission reduction and also stick to the policy of common but differentiated principle."

South Africa's environment minister accused the US of lagging behind at Copenhagen and said it had a moral obligation to take a lead on the issue.

The BASIC countries also called for developed countries to quickly begin handing over the $10 billion pledged in Copenhagen to poor countries to help them deal with the effects of climate change.

The first funds should go to the least developed countries, including small island states and African countries, Xie said.

Xie and other environmental ministers re-emphasized their commitment to working together with other countries - particularly the G-77 - to ensure a consensus at the Conference of Parties at Mexico later this year.

China Daily-Financial Times-the Hindu-ABC News

(China Daily 01/26/2010 page11)