By Xinhua,
Beijing : China Wednesday called on the developed countries to lead the international efforts in fighting climate change and helping developing and poor nations reduce their greenhouse gas emissions.
Rich and industrialised nations should spend at least 0.7 percent of their gross domestic product (GDP) in helping developing nations address the climate change, China’s cabinet said in a white paper issued Wednesday.
“But till now, their spending is far below the level,” Xie Zhenhua, vice director of the National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC), said while explaining the policy paper to the press.
In the white paper titled “China’s Policies and Actions for Addressing Climate Change”, the government stated that the developed nations should provide financial support and transfer technologies to help the developing countries fight against global warming.
The developing countries, while developing their economies and fighting poverty, should also actively adopt strong measures, reduce their emissions to the lowest degree and fulfil their duties in addressing climate change, the white paper said.
China and the US are the world’s largest emitters of greenhouse gases, but Beijing has argued that the West bears a greater historical responsibility for global warming and should allow poorer countries to develop their economies and reduce poverty as the world fights climate change.
Xie said developed nations should take the major responsibility for climate change as their greenhouse gas emissions from 1950 to 2000 accounted for 77 percent of the world total.
Underlining that China’s emissions accounted for 8 percent of the world total from 1904 to 2004, the official said: “According to our data, China’s current total emissions are almost as the same size as that of the US.”
“But we should look at the issue fairly and from a historic view.”
“The Chinese government pays high attention to the issue of climate change,” he added.