Importers must cover climate change share: China
Japan aide says U.S., China must be part of next pact
By Richard Cowan, Reuters March 16, 2009 3:02 PM
Source: Importers must cover climate change share: China
WASHINGTON - Countries that buy Chinese goods should be held responsible for the
carbon dioxide emitted by the factories that make them in any global plan to reduce
greenhouse gases, a Chinese official said Monday.
"About 15 per cent to 25 per cent of China's emissions come from the products which we make
for the world, which should not be taken by us," said Gao Li, director of China's Department of
Climate Change.
Speaking at a forum sponsored by the Pew Center on Global Climate Change, Gao added that
"this share of emission should be taken by the consumers, not the producers" and called the
demand a "very important item to make (for a) fair agreement."
Gao gave no further details of his proposal, which could nevertheless be controversial as countries
like the United States already fear that controlling domestic emissions will lead to sharply higher
energy prices and possible job losses.
China, like the United States, did not join the 17-year-old Kyoto Protocol aimed at reducing global
emissions of carbon dioxide and other pollutants linked to climate change problems.
With an economy that has been booming on its export of manufactured goods, China's
greenhouse gas emissions also have been growing and are now thought to be around par with
those in the United States, which has been the leading emitting nation. (?????)
China is the top source of imports into the United States, followed by Canada and Mexico.
Backers of a new international deal to control climate-warming emissions hope a pact is
embraced in Copenhagen in December, although they acknowledge that timetable might be
ambitious.
In the meantime, international interest in curbing climate change is growing, led by President
Barack Obama's pledge to put the United States on a path to cut emissions to 1990 levels by
2020, with an additional 80 per cent reduction by 2050.
Legislation to create a cap-and-trade system to limit businesses' emissions could begin moving
through the U.S. Congress in coming months. But enactment of such a bill might not be possible
before the Copenhagen meeting. If not, environmentalists worry it could discourage other
countries from signing onto a deal there.
But even without a comprehensive agreement, Eileen Claussen, president of the Pew Center on
Global Climate Change, said negotiators could try to achieve a "strong interim agreement" that
would set forth a framework, possibly including a range of targets for countries to reduce
emissions.
Shinsuke Sugiyama, director general for global issues at Japan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs, told
the Pew forum that his government views 2009 as a "make or break" year in achieving progress
on a new global deal.
But noting that the Kyoto Protocol has only covered about 30 per cent of global emissions
because key economies did not sign on, Sugiyama warned: "My government is very much
determined not to repeat what Kyodo does give us...in the sense that we were not able to involve
United States of America...and other countries like China."
____________________
This is from a recent Calgary Newspaper:
(?????)
____________________
Japan aide says U.S., China must be part of next pact
By Richard Cowan, Reuters March 16, 2009 3:02 PM
Source: Importers must cover climate change share: China
WASHINGTON - Countries that buy Chinese goods should be held responsible for the
carbon dioxide emitted by the factories that make them in any global plan to reduce
greenhouse gases, a Chinese official said Monday.
"About 15 per cent to 25 per cent of China's emissions come from the products which we make
for the world, which should not be taken by us," said Gao Li, director of China's Department of
Climate Change.
Speaking at a forum sponsored by the Pew Center on Global Climate Change, Gao added that
"this share of emission should be taken by the consumers, not the producers" and called the
demand a "very important item to make (for a) fair agreement."
Gao gave no further details of his proposal, which could nevertheless be controversial as countries
like the United States already fear that controlling domestic emissions will lead to sharply higher
energy prices and possible job losses.
China, like the United States, did not join the 17-year-old Kyoto Protocol aimed at reducing global
emissions of carbon dioxide and other pollutants linked to climate change problems.
With an economy that has been booming on its export of manufactured goods, China's
greenhouse gas emissions also have been growing and are now thought to be around par with
those in the United States, which has been the leading emitting nation. (?????)
China is the top source of imports into the United States, followed by Canada and Mexico.
Backers of a new international deal to control climate-warming emissions hope a pact is
embraced in Copenhagen in December, although they acknowledge that timetable might be
ambitious.
In the meantime, international interest in curbing climate change is growing, led by President
Barack Obama's pledge to put the United States on a path to cut emissions to 1990 levels by
2020, with an additional 80 per cent reduction by 2050.
Legislation to create a cap-and-trade system to limit businesses' emissions could begin moving
through the U.S. Congress in coming months. But enactment of such a bill might not be possible
before the Copenhagen meeting. If not, environmentalists worry it could discourage other
countries from signing onto a deal there.
But even without a comprehensive agreement, Eileen Claussen, president of the Pew Center on
Global Climate Change, said negotiators could try to achieve a "strong interim agreement" that
would set forth a framework, possibly including a range of targets for countries to reduce
emissions.
Shinsuke Sugiyama, director general for global issues at Japan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs, told
the Pew forum that his government views 2009 as a "make or break" year in achieving progress
on a new global deal.
But noting that the Kyoto Protocol has only covered about 30 per cent of global emissions
because key economies did not sign on, Sugiyama warned: "My government is very much
determined not to repeat what Kyodo does give us...in the sense that we were not able to involve
United States of America...and other countries like China."
____________________
This is from a recent Calgary Newspaper:
(?????)
____________________
