China pushes for legally binding emissions limit at Paris climate change summit
Xie Zhenhua, mainland’s climate change representative, warns that divisions exist ahead of talks over the burdens developing and developed nations will face for carbon emission cuts
China wants to see a legally binding treaty limiting global warming agreed at UN talks in Paris this month, but says any deal must take into account the different circumstances of participating nations.
Xie Zhenhua, the mainland’s special representative for climate change, said on Thursday that major disagreements had existed between nations at the preparatory meeting held before the summit featuring world leaders from November 30 to 8December 11.
The summit aims to reach an agreement to cut greenhouse gas emissions blamed for global warming and will try to negotiate a deal to keep global warming below 2 degrees Celsius.
“The main disagreement lies in how to interpret the term ‘common but differentiated responsibilities’,” Xie, China’s former top climate negotiator, said.
“Currently no country openly opposes the principle … but we hope it can be put into practice in concrete terms, such as a reduction in emissions.”
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The principle of “common but differentiated responsibilities”, set out in the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change in 1992, has long been the major cause of division and impasse at global climate talks.
