Backgrounder: Key facts about G8 summit
Backgrounder: Toyako, venue for 2008 G8 summit

    BEIJING, July 9 (Xinhua) -- With leaders of developed and emerging economies unable to agree on emissions targets during a special climate change summit held at a Japanese mountain resort, which capped off the annual Group of Eight (G8) summit, Chinese economists here endorsed the stance of developing countries.

    They said it would be "unreasonable" and "unfair" if developing countries had to accept equal responsibility on emissions-reductions targets set by the G8 industrial powers. 

Chinese President Hu Jintao (6th R) poses with other leaders for the G8 leaders', Africa and International Organizations family photo at Toyako in Hokkaido, north Japan, on July 9, 2008. (Xinhua Photo) Photo Gallery>>>

    COMMON CHALLENGE, DIFFERENT RESPONSIBILITIES

    "It can not be denied that developed countries generated more emissions than emerging economies, no matter whether it was in the past or at present," said Gao Huiqing, head of the development strategy section under the forecast department of the State Information Center.

    The major factor behind what is described as man-made climate change was the abundant and unchecked greenhouse gas emissions from developed countries over the past 200 years while they enjoyed the fruits of industrialization and high economic growth, according to a report by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change of the United Nations.

    The report had served as the basis for the UN framework on climate change that upholds "the principle of common but differentiated responsibilities" for developing and developed countries to cope with climate change.

    Zhang Yansheng, head of the Research Institute of Foreign Trade and Economic Cooperation under the National Development and Reform Commission, said developed countries should definitely take more responsibility to cut emissions since they still consume more energy than developing countries.

    "The per capita energy consumption in the United States is at present roughly 10 times that of China, and that of more energy-conscious Japan still quintuples China's figure," Zhang said.

    However, there had been increasing calls from the developed world to put emerging countries under certain obligations to cut emissions as well.

    "The focus on developing countries like China came along with the rapid development of these economies in the process of globalization," said Zhuang Jian, a senior economist at the Beijing office of the Asian Development Bank.

    But economists all agreed that global warming was a global challenge, and rich and developing countries shared responsibility in addressing the issue, echoing comments by Chinese President Hu Jintao at Toyako, Japan.

    "As countries represented at this meeting differ in terms of their stage of development, level of scientific and technological development and national conditions, our endeavor to combat climate change should be guided by the principle of common but differentiated responsibilities," Hu said on Wednesday.

    The meeting was also attended by leaders from Australia, Brazil, India, Indonesia, Mexico, South Africa, the Republic of Korea and the G8 nations.

    Zhang also stressed that rich and developing nations should be treated differently in cutting emissions. "Equal responsibilities are unfair, as it would seem like demanding less from developed countries."

    Developing countries, which lag in technology and management, were actually incapable of making the same commitments, he added.

    Chinese companies could be easily overwhelmed with tasks to introduce green technologies to protect the environment and save energy, because their profit margins are limited, he said.

    "More substantial damage could be done to the environment as some people, forced out of employment in a bad economy, might choose to chop down trees for fuel in extreme cases."

    Zhuang said overly strict emissions reduction targets could cost the "right to develop" for emerging economies.

    He believed a more rational way for developing countries to contribute to emissions reduction would be to explore more environment-friendly approaches in their industrialization.