by Xinhua Writers Wu Liming, Huan Gongdi
BONN, March 31 (Xinhua) -- Top Chinese negotiator
Tuesday urged developed countries to give more commitments and support to
developing countries in fighting climate change.
Su Wei, Chinese delegation chief to the UN climate
change talks in Bonn, made the call in an exclusive interview with Xinhua.
The Bonn conference, which started on March 29 and
will last till April 8, is the first of a series of UN climate change talks this
year, which is aimed to pave the way for an ambitious and effective
international climate change deal to be reached in Copenhagen in December.
Su said the success of the Copenhagen summit lies in
whether or not the developed countries would make "substantial arrangements" for
transferring climate-friendly technologies to and providing funds for developing
countries.
Su noted the establishment of three international
"mechanisms" is very important among the "substantial arrangements."
"The first is to set up an international mechanism on
climate-friendly technology development and transfer, to eliminate barriers
hindering technology transfer, so that developing countries can get access to
such technologies," he said.
"Secondly, we should set up an effective financing
mechanism to ensure the developed countries provide adequate funds for
developing countries in their bid to cut emissions and fight climate change," he
added.
Thirdly, Su said an "effective supervision mechanism"
should beset up to monitor the above-mentioned technology transfer and funding.
Su said the time for the UN climate change talks is
"pressing" as the Copenhagen conference is just eight months away.
According to Su, the Copenhagen conference has two
tasks. One is to set the mid-term emission reduction targets for developed
countries, that is, developed countries as a whole should commit to making 25-40
percent cuts below 1990 levels by 2020. The other is to make substantial
arrangements for the implementation of the UN Framework Convention on Climate
Change in accordance with the Bali Roadmap.
Su said during the past two centuries, developed
countries have made unbridled emissions of green-house gas, a major cause of
global climate change, and developing countries are major victims of climate
change.
Hence, developed countries have the duties and
responsibilities to cut emissions and offer help to developing countries, he
said, noting the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change has notified the
responsibilities of developed countries, but they failed to make progress in the
implementation over the past decade.
Su also pointed out the key to striking a deal in
Copenhagen lies in the "political will" of developed countries.
During the current talks in Bonn, the U.S. delegation
had presented the position of the Obama administration on climate change,
promising to reduce U.S. carbon emissions by roughly 15 percent from current
levels by 2020.
"It is an encouragement and we welcome it. This means
substantial policy change on climate change by the new U.S. administration,"
said Su.
However, Su said the targets set by the White House
is still far shy of the goals set by the UN Framework Convention on Climate
Change, which asks the United States to reduce the emissions to the 1990 levels
by 2000.
Su also said the positions of the European Union (EU)
and Japan were "positive" in the Bonn talks.
As for China, Su said the Chinese government attaches
vital importance to fighting climate change and a series of substantial measures
have been put into practice.
In 2007, a national leading group on climate change,
headed by Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao, was set up to oversee all issues relevant
to climate change.
On the same year, the Chinese government issued the
National Climate Change Program, the first of its kind ever issued by China,
which works out the strategies and measures to tackle climate change.
"The Chinese government has actively participated in
international talks on climate change and we have presented our own proposals on
nearly every relevant issue," Su said.
"China has played and is playing a positive and
constructive role in international talks on climate change," Su added.