Having been a major victim of climate change, China is
formulating plans to cope with the problem.
The country is working on its first national program to mitigate
and adapt to climate change, according to a high-ranking
environmental official.
A common program for all government agencies is important,
because as the central government is paying increasing attention to
climate change, most local officials are still not quite aware of
the issue, said Lu Xuedu, deputy director of the division to
oversee environmental affairs under the Ministry of Science and
Technology (MST).
Lu said the program will set goals for reducing greenhouse gas
emission, and for developing climate-friendly technologies.
It will outline the facts and effects of climate change, and
will also formulate policies to support climate-related
international cooperation and technology transfers, the official
said.
The draft of the program will be submitted to the State Council,
the Chinese Cabinet, for approval late this month, Lu told China
Daily.
But he said the program will be "more of a guideline" rather
than setting specific targets.
He said it would be "unrealistic to set specific goals in some
areas" at this time.
The program is envisaged to be "a three-year scheme", although
environmental officials hope it can be expanded and become
applicable over a longer period.
Zou Ji, a climate policy expert involved in drafting the
program, said China has already made progress in improving energy
efficiency, developing recycling energy and coal-gas
exploration.
But more importantly, the program will have a legal basis,
necessitating all government agencies work with each other in
battling climate change, said Zou, a professor with Renmin
University.
Lu said implement plans to mitigate the effects of global
warming was now a serious challenge for China.
A report released recently said that temperatures would keep
rising through this century as a result of increased energy
consumption and greenhouse gas emissions, with warmer winters in
North China being the most obvious features.
The report was co-authored by six central government agencies
and academic bodies, including MST, China Meteorological
Administration and the Chinese Academy of Sciences.
It predicted that the average annual temperature would rise
1.3-2.1 C by 2020, and 2.3-3.3 C by 2050.
Another report released by the State Oceanic Administration last
month also warned of a rapid rise in sea levels.
It said that the country had witnessed an average annual
sea-level rise of 2.5 mm in recent years, and predicted that in the
next 3-10 years, the sea level would continue to rise by 9-31 mm
over the 2006 level.
"The speed is astonishing," Lu said. "Coastal cities including
Shanghai and Guangzhou will confront unimaginable challenges if the
situation deteriorates."
(China Daily February 16, 2007)
