China says it has reached a consensus on climate change with major developing countries that largely believe developed nations should bear most of the burden of reducing greenhouse gas emissions.
Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Qin Gang said Tuesday that developing countries - such as China, India, Brazil and South Africa - take climate change very seriously. This was the main issue at a meeting Beijing held on Saturday.
Qin says at the meeting, developing countries reached what he described as an "important consensus" that reflects their concerns on climate change and deserves attention from developed nations.
He says developing nations are prepared to work with developed countries to push for success at the coming climate change talks in Copenhagen.
But he repeated the position that developed countries have a greater responsibility to address climate change, since they are responsible for 80 percent of accumulated greenhouse gas emissions. Many scientists believe greenhouse gases such as carbon dioxide contribute to global warming. Many of those gases are released by burning fuels such as oil and coal.
Qin urges developed nations to take concrete measures to work out an emissions reduction plan. He also urges them to provide financial support, technology transfers and aid to help developing countries adapt to global warming and reduce its damage.
He repeatedly said that China will support a Copenhagen outcome that adheres to the Kyoto Protocol climate change agreement. That document sets binding targets for industrialized nations to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, but does not require them for developing economies.
China and the United States are the world's top two emitters of greenhouse gases, and leaders from both countries are going to Copenhagen.
China last week announced a voluntary target of cutting its carbon intensity by up to 45 percent by 2020, compared with 2005 levels. Carbon intensity is not the same thing as carbon emissions, but instead is the amount of carbon dioxide emitted for each unit of economic output.
The United States is promising a 17 percent cut from 2005 carbon emissions by 2020.
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China Says Major Developing Nations Agree on Climate Change
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China says it has reached a consensus on climate change with major developing countries that largely believe developed nations should bear most of the burden of reducing greenhouse gas emissions.
