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Icebergs grind against the shallows off the Rothera base, run by the British Antarctic Survey, on the Antarctic Peninsula, January 25, 2009.[Xinhua/Reuters Photo] |
A senior Chinese negotiator at the U.N. climate talks Friday urged developed nations to show the political will to fulfill their obligations to curb global warming and said China will make continued efforts to advance the negotiations.
Li Gao, acting chief of the Chinese delegation, told Xinhua at the end of the second round of the U.N. climate talks that limited progress was made at the latest negotiating session, including working out a draft document comprising various positions of parties involved in the talks.
In the draft document, which serves as the basis for further negotiations, developing countries have made concrete proposals on how to establish an effective mechanism to mitigate climate change and solve the problems of adaptation, technology transfer and funds so as to promote comprehensive, effective and sustained implementation of the U.N. Framework Convention on Climate Change, Li said.
"However, this negotiating process also reveals a lack of political will on the part of developed nations to fulfil obligations required by the Framework Convention," he said.
While trying to weaken their targets to cut greenhouse gas emissions and weaken their obligations to provide funds and technologies to help developing countries adapt to climate change, Li said, developed countries are also attempting to pass their burden of emissions reductions to developing countries.
"There is an attempt to obliterate the principle of 'common but differentiated responsibility'and to split up the developing countries," Li pointed out.
Li also noted that the current negotiating text still includes many of developed countries' proposals that are at odds with the principles in the "Bali Road Map" and the U.N. Framework Convention on Climate Change.
Further negotiations, he added, should adhere to the principles of the Framework Convention, especially the principle of "common but differentiated responsibility." The talks should also focus on addressing the problems of mitigation, adaptation, technology and funds in a balanced way, as required by the "Bali Road Map," he said.
He also called for more transparency and full involvement of developing nations in the talks so as to ensure that the interests of the developing countries are effectively protected.
"Any substantial progress in the next round of talks will most decisively depend on the political will of developed countries," Li told Xinhua.
China issued its National Climate Change Program in 2007, which sets the targets of reducing energy consumption per unit GDP and raising the proportion of renewable energy. "China has already taken concrete actions to tackle climate change while some developed nations are still discussing their future emission-cut targets," Li said.
(Xinhua News Agency June 14, 2009)
