Climate Change and China's Response

Mr. Chairman, Fellow Speakers, Ladies and Gentleman, Good morning.

First of all, I would like to thank Dr. Fsadni for inviting me to make a presentation on Climate Change. I do appreciate the opportunity to share with everyone perspectives on this issue from Chinese point of view, which I think will not only help you know China better, but also contribute to a holistic way of thinking on the issue in the background of today's globalized world.

The topic for my presentation is Climate Change and China's response. I would break it up in four parts.

1.China in Climate Change

As everyone is aware, climate change is one of the greatest challenges on the world environmentally, economically, socially and politically. It's a global issue as well as national one. And its adverse impact is already a fact of life. So it is the case for China. China is among the countries seriously affected because of its heavily depending on agriculture together with its situation in an unfavorable weather condition and fragile ecological environment. The fact that China is now in a fast development period has also made the case even more severe rather than less. Statistics show annual average temperature has increased by 0.5-0.8 degrees centigrade during the past 100 years. The rate of sea level rise along China's Coast during the past 50 years was 2.5mm per year, and both trends are higher than the global average. Meanwhile, extreme weather/climate events has becoming more frequent and intensive recently such as drought in northern and northeaster China and floods in the middle and lower reach of Yangtze river and particularly in southeastern part of China. So in a word, the climate change situation which we need to respond is rather severe.

2. China behind Climate Change

The most popular topic in this regard is China's growing emission of green house gases. It's true with the rapid growth and major shift to manufacturing China has become one of the fast growing emitters of ghg these years. This said, I think still three factors need to be considered before we get a complete picture.

First, China's per capita emissions are relatively low, and even lower in accumulative terms. In 2005, China's average carbon emission was 3.8 tons, which was one fifth of the U.S. and 44% of the UK. The average Chinese citizen consumes less than one-half the energy of the average person in the EU and only one-fourth that of the average American. It was also less 4.2 tons than the average carbon emission of developing countries. And for the period before 2002, 90 percent of anthropogenic greenhouse gases now in the atmosphere were released, while China contributed a mere 7 percent, conversely, the EU accounted for 26 percent and the United States 29 percent.

Second, China has become one of the global manufacturing bases. When exporting cheap goods, we are forced to 'import' a great deal of emission. It is estimated that, 30% of the carbon dioxide emission is caused by manufacturing exporting goods. 14% of the emission is caused by exporting goods to the U.S.

Third, China is still a developing country in the process of industrialization and modernization. If the income standard is one dollar per person per day, then China still has 135 million people live under the poverty line, which account for one tenth of the total population. So a significant share of China's total emissions falls in the category of subsistence emissions to meet people's basic needs. China's central task now is to develop the economy and make life better for the people.

3. China against Climate Change

In face of this challenge, Chinese people and its government has increasingly realized that past development mode of high investment, large emission, and growing without considering the environment is not sustainable. Saving energy, reducing greenhouse gas and combating climate change is the need for china's self-development. China therefore has adopted a human-centered policy and is showing strong leadership.

Firstly, China signed the U.N. Framework Convention on Climate Change adopted at the 1992 Earth Summit as a "non-annex country," which means it wasn't required for China to take any mandatory actions. So although China is not legally bound to take actions, yet we think it's political and moral duty for us to act.

Secondly, Chinese government has promulgated 'China National Plan for Coping with Climate Change', covering both mitigation and adaptation, which is the first National Plan among all the developing countries. And there are other laws, regulations and a host of measures to tackle climate change. Such as 'Renewable Energy Law' and 'Energy Conservation Law', and a National Coordination Committee on Climate Change has been built and led by our Premier.

Thirdly, Chinese government has set clear binding targets in National Economic and Social Development Plan which are considered as some of the most ambitious on the planet, including to reduce energy consumption per unit GDP by 20%, and major pollutant discharges by 10%, to increase the proportion of renewable energy by 10%, and raise forest cover to 20% by 2010 compared to 2005. And in line with this, China is making efforts to ensure that its industrial structure, growth model and consumption pattern are energy and resource efficient and environmentally-friendly. China has also made continued efforts to strengthen adaptation capacities in the fields of agriculture, natural and ecological systems and water resources.

Now to our great satisfaction, all above efforts have now begun to pay off. To wit, overall energy intensity in China has improved steadily at a rate of around 3.9 percent per year from 1980 to 2005. China has overtaken Germany as the world's biggest producer of photovoltaic cells in early 2007. In terms of wind-energy sector, China now ranks 5 on the world for total installed capacity, and the Global Wind Energy Council predicts that China will become the world's top wind-turbine producer in 2009. China is now also the third-largest ethanol producer in the world. All these sectors, I must add a fact, China originally had very miserable percentage of the global capacity. And further inspiring is that the progress in these sectors has successfully generated the considerable profit as well as employment. It is also inferred if all the objectives in the National Plan were achieved the world's most populous country would emit 1.5 billion tons less carbon dioxide and equivalent by 2010 while still continuing to grow rapidly.

4. China on Climate Change

Given the size and scale of the challenges yet opportunity for low-carbon approaches in China, there is tremendous scope and need for international cooperation in areas. And indeed, China has developed good bilateral consultation and cooperation on climate change with major players as the European Union. China-EU Partnership on Climate Change Rolling Work Plan has been running fruitfully since 2002. Healthy cooperation has been built with respective EU countries as UK, Italy, France and Denmark etc. And recently companies of both China and Malta are exploring the opportunities in this new field of cooperation.

However, looking ahead, we think it's not enough. We believe further joint efforts should be enhanced in the following areas.

First, Climate change is an environmental issue, but it is in essence a development issue. International endeavor to combat climate change should be guided by the principle of common but differentiated responsibilities. This principle reflects the differences in the level of economic development and historical responsibilities. So the UNFCCC and its Kyoto Protocol should serve as the main channel for international negotiations and cooperation on climate change, with other initiatives and mechanisms as useful supplements.

Second, developed countries should make earnest efforts to attain the goal of emission reduction defined in the Protocol and take concrete measures to honor their commitments of providing funding and technology transfer to developing countries, so that developing countries can get affordable technologies that are both climate-friendly and environment-friendly.

Third, developing countries should adopt policy measures for mitigation and adaptation and make whatever contribution as they can to the fight against climate change in the context of sustainable development.

Last, the international community should work together to ensure progress in international negotiations on climate change. This year and the next are crucial to the effort in implementing the Bali Road Map, which charts the course and sets the timetable for international discussions on an international climate change arrangement after 2012. We can not afford to lose any more.

Ladies and gentlemen,

Climate change poses a critical challenge, but it also provides an opportunity to promote a transition toward a sustainable growth. China is ready to continue work actively and cooperatively with the rest of the international community to achieve harmonious, clean and sustainable development in the world. And it is my personal commitment that Chinese Embassy in Malta will as ever contribute constructively to promote understanding and cooperation on this issue between our two countries. We have to save our planet for future. Every drop counts. I do value this fruitful Seminar. And I wish it a complete success.

Thank you.