By IANS,
Beijing: UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon has said seven of the world’s top 10 polluted cities are in China and stressed that the country needs to have a hold over its growing environmental footprint.
He asked China to focus on sustainable development, China Daily reported Monday.
Addressing students of Nanjing University in Jiangsu province, Ban said China has become the world’s largest manufacturer and exporter but also the biggest emitter of greenhouse gases.
“Seven of the world’s 10 most polluted cities are in China. Your environmental footprint is growing daily,” Ban said.
He, however, added that China had fortunately begun to fight the “side-effects of prosperity” – climate change and environmental degradation.
Ban received an honorary doctorate in laws from Nanjing University.
On the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) talks, Ban said he was pleased to see progress in adaptation, technological cooperation and steps to reduce deforestation.