Divided We Fall

Why united action on climate change is vital

By HUANG HUIKANG

July 28, 2009 witnessed the initialling of the U.S.-China Memorandum of Understanding to Enhance Cooperation on Climate Change, Energy and the Environment. China Foto Press

Climate change knows no boundaries. It is a universal issue unconfined by natural or political geography in that it generates more than atmospheric and environmental impacts. No country and no region can escape its reach, and no country can handle it alone. International cooperation is the only hope for mitigation.

International Efforts

A trail of research speaks to the historic roots of the current global warming crisis. In its long existence, Earth has experienced several spells of warming and cooling, as is the course of nature. But the latest warming trend bears little resemblance to natural laws we have witnessed or inferred from evidence; it appears to be a result of human activities. More to the point, developed countries have consumed, and continue to consume, a massive amount of fossil fuel since the Industrial Revolution; their lasting obsession with an energy-guzzling lifestyle has increased the atmospheric concentration of greenhouse gases, consequently strengthening the “greenhouse effect” and unleashing an implacable ascent of terrestrial and atmospheric temperatures. It can be said that developed countries are the primary culprits in global warming and the majority of developing countries its victims. Therefore, in the international campaign against climate change, the developed world has the historical, moral and legal obligation to take the lead in cutting emissions and to provide financial and technological support for developing countries to do the same.

The international community started to focus on the issue of climate change in the 1970s. In 1979 the first World Climate Conference was convened; it worked out a comprehensive climate plan and unveiled a global climate change research program. In 1988 the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) and the United Nations Environment Program (UNEP) initiated a joint Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC); IPCC’s assessment reports in 1990, 1995, 2001 and 2007 provided scientific evidence and suggested response stimuli for international climate change negotiations. In 1990 the UN Assembly decided to start intergovernmental climate change negotiations. Two years later the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development (UNCED, or Rio Summit) passed the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (Climate Change Convention), which outlined objectives and principles for combating climate change, and defined the rights and obligations of member countries. In 1997 further agreement was reached on the Kyoto Protocol. Both the Convention and its Protocol stand as important interim achievements made by the international community. Reached after years of hard negotiations, they represent a world consensus and provide the legal basis and guidelines for the international campaign against climate change.

International negotiations on climate change have continued since the Convention and its Protocol came into effect. At the heart of every discussion to follow was how to promote overall and effective implementation of the two documents, and in particular, urge developed countries to fulfill their commitments and obligations. But the Bush Administration in the United States, swayed by domestic political considerations, refused to sign the Kyoto Protocol. Meanwhile, some other developed countries who had affixed their signatures became unwilling to face up to their historic responsibilities and follow through on their promises. Consequently, implementation of the Convention and its Protocol remains far from satisfactory, and international negotiations have since seen little or no progress.

Global warming is, without question, a scientific fact; countermeasures are imperative. Various countries, particularly in the developed world, must take immediate action on international cooperation – for the common interest of humankind and the welfare of future generations.

Basic Principles in International Cooperation

The Climate Change Convention and its Kyoto Protocol laid down the ultimate objectives and basic principles for international cooperation on climate change slowdown and mitigation of its effects.

According to the definition of the Convention, climate change is “a change of climate which is attributed directly or indirectly to human activity that alters the composition of the global atmosphere and which is in addition to natural climate variability observed over comparable time periods.” The ultimate objective of the Convention is to stabilize the atmospheric concentration of greenhouse gases to a level that will prevent “dangerous” human interference with the natural climate systems. The Convention has therefore established the following basic principles:

The first principle addresses equality and “common but differentiated responsibilities.” Signatory countries agree that global climate change and its adverse effects are shared concerns of humankind and that the universality of the phenomenon requires all countries to do their best to engage in the widest possible cooperation on mounting effective and appropriate actions. The first item of Article Three says, “The Parties should protect the climate system for the benefit of present and future generations of humankind, on the basis of equity and in accordance with their common but differentiated responsibilities and respective capabilities. Accordingly, the developed country Parties should take the lead in combating climate change and the adverse effects thereof.” This principle clarifies that developed countries should be held responsible for historic emission accumulation and their high per-capita discharges. This means changing their unsustainable lifestyles, significantly reducing emissions, and furthermore, providing the capital and technology that will enhance the capabilities of developing countries to join the fight.

The second principle takes into consideration the economic and societal needs of developing countries. Item Two of Article Three says: “The specific needs and special circumstances of developing country Parties, especially those that are particularly vulnerable to the adverse effects of climate change, and of those Parties, especially developing country Parties, that would have to bear a disproportionate or abnormal burden under the Convention, should be given full consideration.” Economic development and poverty reduction are recognized as the paramount tasks of the developing world for the time being, though during this transition, they are expected to take adaptive measures to reduce contributing to climate stress and to mitigate its effects. How best they can perform their duties depends very much on the level of financial and technological support they receive from developed countries.

Third is the principle of sustainable growth. Climate change is both an environmental and developmental issue, but development is primary. Therefore environmental imperatives should be acted on together with the social and economic goals of a country. Climate change policies and measures should suit the conditions prevalent in each country, and integrated with national development plans. In short, sustainability goals for developing countries should incorporate the right of countries to develop. Under a sustainability framework, economic development is viewed comprehensively, with consideration given to uninterrupted economic growth, poverty reduction and environmental protection, as well as climate change. The related policies and measures should also be cost-effective and consistent with global targets.

The fourth principle stresses the priority ranking of precautionary action, and roles of mitigation and adaptation strategies. The Convention urges its members to establish mechanisms to “anticipate, prevent or minimize the causes of climate change and mitigate its adverse effects.” When facing the threat of serious or irreversible damage, such measures should not be postponed on the basis of “lack of full scientific certainty.” Mitigation and adaptation are two important aspects of combating climate change and deserve equal attention. Mitigation can be long and arduous, while adaptation is immediate and urgent (and by sheer exposure to emergencies, most important to the developing countries). Capital and technology are the indispensable means and guarantees for action on mitigation and adaptation; the financial support of developed countries is also an important and effective weapon in the climate change combat zone.

The above basic principles are a collective cornerstone for international cooperation in preventing and reversing the impacts of global warming, defining clearly the differentiated responsibilities and obligations of developed and developing participants – the right map for a long journey.

China’s Participation

China is one of the hardest-hit victims of climate change in the world. Painful disasters have recently pushed our resolve forward. The Chinese government has participated actively in international negotiations, bearing in mind the long-term interests of the Chinese people and all of humankind.

China was an active party in the Convention and its Protocol negotiations and signed them respectively on June 11, 1992 and May 29, 1998; it was among the first group of signatory countries, and the two documents also apply to Hong Kong and Macao special administrative regions.

Chinese scientists are earnestly involved in major international scientific research projects, including the World Climate Research Program, International Geosphere-Biosphere Program, International Human Dimension of Global Environmental Change Program, the biodiversity research program DIVERSITAS, Earth System Science Partnership, Global Climate Observing System, and Group on Earth Observations.

In the 21st century, the Chinese government has established channels and platforms for exchanges with major developed countries, and conducted fruitful, substantial cooperation projects with them. In 2003 China and Canada signed a joint communiqué declaring their willingness to strengthen their dialogues and cooperation on climate change. They also set up a joint working group, initiating bilateral governmental cooperation in the field. In September 2005 Chinese and EU leaders published a joint communiqué and decided to form a climate change partnership that included a regular discussion mechanism, which in 2010 was elevated to the ministerial level. China has also signed joint communiqués on climate change with Australia and Japan, establishing dialogue channels and agreeing to work hand in hand in combating climate change. In November 2009 on U.S. President Obama’s visit to China, the two countries signed a memorandum of understanding on climate, environment and energy cooperation. Climate change has remained a priority topic in recent years for high-level meetings between China and other countries.

China’s international cooperation in the field is not confined to developed countries. As a member of the developing world, the Chinese government pays special attention to dialogues and cooperation with the Group of 77 and other developing countries. It has initiated the China-Africa climate change partnership and set up regular, ministerial-level dialogue mechanisms with India, Brazil and South Africa. Within the framework of the South-South Cooperation, China has done its utmost to support the developing world, particularly Africa’s least developed countries. After the founding of the China-Africa Cooperation Forum in 2000, China forgave many interest-free debts coming due before 2005; these loans were to the least developed and most heavily indebted of African countries with which China had diplomatic relations. From 2007 to 2009 China provided to some of the same countries in excess of US $3 billion in preferential construction and development loans.

At the China-Africa Cooperation Forum Fourth Ministerial Meeting in November 2009, Premier Wen Jiabao proposed the establishment of a China-Africa partnership on climate change and suggested periodic high-level meetings and cooperation agreements on climate indicators measurement, new energy development, desertification control and protection of urban environments. In the subsequent Sharm el-Sheikh Action Plan (2010-2012), China expressed its support for justified appeals by African countries, including their request that developed countries increase their financial support and technology transfer. For its part, China promised to strengthen human resources training for Africa in new energy utilization, environmental management and pollution prevention. China also agreed to establish within a three-year period (starting in 2010) 100 aid projects, including building small methane, solar and hydraulic clean power stations and drilling wells. China expressed a willingness to continue sharing with African countries the data from the China-Brazil Earth Resources Satellites (CBERS), and to promote its application in support of Africa’s utilization of its land resources, climate observation, and environmental protection activities. China will directly extend a helping hand to African countries in the areas of enhancing monitoring capabilities, protecting or reviving ecological systems, biodiversity, and exercising desertification controls.

Boosting International Cooperation

The battle against climate change will be a long one; it requires more extensive and intense international cooperation. For the next round of negotiations and cooperation, the international community should continue with the dual-track negotiation process established in the Bali Roadmap. First, agreement should be reached on emission reduction targets for signatory developed countries in the second commitment period; developed countries that have not signed the Kyoto Protocol should also adopt commeasurable emission reductions targets under the framework of the Climate Change Convention. Second, arrangements are imperative to establish effective mechanisms that ensure developed countries fulfill their commitments regarding the provision of financial, technological and capability-building support to developing countries. Developed countries should move quickly on their “fast-start funding” agreement – US $30 billion, and make transparent plans for reaching their long-term funding targets. Meanwhile, developing countries should take appropriate action on the environment in accordance with their national conditions and within the framework of sustainable development. At the core of all actions is commitment to the principles of equality and “common but differentiated responsibilities.”

Frequent climate disasters are warnings to all of us that it is imperative to act. Only by moving forward, fulfilling our promises and constructing win-win scenarios can humankind make continuous progress in this global war. At the 2009 Copenhagen Summit, Premier Wen Jiabao made an unconditional commitment to the world: China would reduce its unit GDP carbon dioxide emissions by 40-45 percent from the 2005 baseline. The Chinese government will ceaselessly strive to realize and even surpass that target, for the benefit of the Chinese people as well as the people of the world.

In the Post-Copenhagen era, re-establishment of mutual trust is paramount. China will work earnestly with the rest of the world to propel international cooperation on climate change, and do its own part to ensure fruitful international negotiations and cooperation.