New climate pact must consider historical emissions: Chinese official (2)

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New climate pact must consider historical emissions: Chinese official (2)

(Xinhua) 13:23, November 15, 2013

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FINANCE IS KEY FOR WARSAW TALKS

A major issue at the Warsaw conference is securing a fund from rich nations to help climate efforts in developing countries.

"We want to see a real provision of financial resources by parties," said Su, referring to a pledge by developed countries to mobilize 100 billion U.S. dollars per year by 2020.

Finance arrangement is expected to be elaborated in ministerial-level talks next week, along with other issues such as a loss and damage mechanism to help developing countries worst hit by global warming.

EU AND JAPAN FALL SHORT OF EXPECTATION

Su also urged the European Union (EU) to raise its target of greenhouse gas emission reductions, saying the goal to cut 20 percent by 2020 is little progress from the current levels of nearly 18 percent.

"They are almost there and they are certainly going to overachieve their targets by 2020," said Su. "They call it ambitious, but I told my colleagues it's no ambition at all."

Meanwhile, Japan's new target of cutting carbon emissions by 3.8 percent by 2020 compared to its 2005 levels is disappointing, Su noted.

"I don't have any words to describe my dismay," he said.

Japan's 2020 target will see an increase of 3.1 percent of carbon emissions from its 1990 levels, in sharp contrast with the fact that most nations pledge to cut emissions from the 1990 baseline.

"This is not only backward movement from the Kyoto Protocol, but also a startling backward movement from the Convention," Su told reporters.

Japan agreed to the first commitment period of the legally-binding Kyoto Protocol, which sets obligations of industrialized countries by 2012on emissions reductions, but did not commit to the second period from 2013 to 2020.

Japan still has the responsibility to implement the first commitment period, and as a party to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change, it must honor its commitments to reducing their emissions, said Su.