"COMMON BUT DIFFERENTIATED RESPONSIBILITIES"
China has committed to cutting planet-warming emissions and turning its economy into a green one, but it held that developing countries should be given more room for further development in global fight against climate change.
"Developing countries are now beginning to industrialize. It is unfair to limit their development," China's chief climate negotiator Xie Zhenhua said in early May.
China accused developed countries of discharging a great amount of greenhouse gases during their industrialization in the previous two centuries, saying that is why they should take most of the responsibility to reduce carbon emissions.
To achieve equitable development globally, China adheres to the principle of "common but differentiated responsibility" on climate change.
Although a challenging task, China is expected to lower its energy consumption per unit of gross domestic product (GDP) by 20 percent at the end of this year compared with the 2005 level.
In an earlier speech, Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao said that in line with the principle of "common but differentiated responsibility," the international community should further clarify the mandatory reduction targets for developed countries and mitigation actions for developing nations.
China's efforts to fight global warming has won praise from the European Union.
The 27-nation EU, which has long claimed to be the front runner in the fight against climate change, said Beijing was making great strides against global warming.
"In the real world outside the negotiation rooms they are just moving," European Commissioner for Climate Action Connie Hedegaard said, referring to China's efforts to fight global warming. "They are just doing it and they are doing it big scale."
Hedegaard noted that the United States is lagging behind other countries like China in this aspect.
