China Wednesday called on the international community to observe the principles and framework set by the Kyoto Protocol and the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change.
The appeal was made by Cao Bochun, vice director of the Environment and Resources Protection Committee of the Chinese National People's Congress, at the G8+5 Climate Change Dialogue forum held in this Brazilian capital.
"As a precondition of ensuring healthy human development, tackling climate change is today's and tomorrow's basic principle with which we should persist in confronting the problem," said Cao.
"Common but differentiated responsibilities" stated in the Kyoto Protocol and UN Framework Convention on Climate Change should be the basis and precondition for a rational move in handling climate change, he said.
The Chinese legislator said at the forum that "China, as a responsible country, has a resolute and consistent policy in dealing with climate change."
China will do its "best to boost its capability" to fight climate change based on China's reality, said Cao.
The capability of the mini-thermal power plants closed by the Chinese government in 2007 as an environment-protection measure reached some 14.3 million kilowatts, he said, adding that the drive will continue.
He also rebutted criticism of China's increasing greenhouse gas emissions, saying most of the critics have ignored a fact that transfer emissions account for some 30 percent of China's total greenhouse gas emissions, which means China has shifted some emission pressures from a lot of countries.
The forum, initiated by then British Prime Minister Tony Blair, was established in 2005 for legislators from the Group of Eight industrialized nations – Britain, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Russia and the United States – and their counterparts from five emerging economies – China, India, Brazil, Mexico and South Africa – to address the global climate issue and anti-poverty efforts.
(Xinhua News Agency February 21, 2008)
