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Journalism of Courage
With developed countries doing little to ensure that Copenhagen yields a comprehensive global agreement,the stalled climate change negotiations are likely to receive a big impetus later this week from China,which is learnt to be all set to announce some major concessions during US President Barack Obama’s visit.
China has not specified the absolute numbers,which are still being finalised,sources told The Indian Express. Beijing was also said to be considering framing a law to institutionalise these actions.
Though China and India have often taken similar positions on the climate change debate,their situations are vastly different,a fact that is cited by Indian observers to argue that Beijing’s announcement later this week would not result in any undue pressure on India to announce anything equally dramatic.
In private conversations,the Chinese have also been talking about the possibility of capping the growth of their emissions by 2030,in accordance with the findings of an unofficial report that had come out of a think-tank earlier this year,sources said. But it is not clear whether that target too will be up for discussions during Obama’s visit.
China and India,the world’s largest and fourth-largest emitter of greenhouse gases,have been under tremendous pressure from the developed world to take steps to reduce their emissions. Though both have initiated action to improve energy efficiency,promote afforestation and shift to a more renewable energy-based economy all aimed at controlling the growth of their emissions Beijing and New Delhi have steadfastly refused to take legally-binding emissions cuts.
Reducing energy intensity is not the same as reducing greenhouse gas emissions,which some developed countries have been demanding from China. But they are directly related. A lower energy intensity indicates that,for generating the same GDP,the country utilises lesser energy,therefore emitting less of greenhouse gases. China,whose economy is driven predominantly by coal-based energy,has very high energy intensity while Indias is already amongst the best in the world.
Chinas move is likely to infuse fresh energy into the deadlocked climate talks. Beijing’s offer could also be the much-needed handle for Obama to convince the sceptics back home and push through an ambitious climate bill.
