Tuesday 18 November 2008

Sha Zukang: UN Members don't honor commitments

BEIJING: The Chinese government rejected suggestions that it could use $1.9tn of foreign exchange reserves to pay for cleaner forms of energy to reduce its greenhouse gas emissions rather than asking developed countries to pay for and provide much of it. 

Xie Zhenhua, vice chairman of China's main economic planning body, told reporters the government is already spending huge amounts to try to cut emissions, but the country is still developing and needs funds and expertise from richer nations. 

Xie said, "China is still developing and we need money in many respects, but despite this we are very willing to invest in efforts to tackle climate change." 

Xie pointed out that China has already budgeted about $440bn as part of its efforts to reduce energy consumption and pollution in the coming years. 

A system needs to be introduced that encourages developed countries to pass on technology, but also protects companies' patents and intellectual copyright, he added. 

Xie's comments come at the end of an international conference in Beijing on various mechanisms to get developed countries to honour their commitments to give poorer nations technology -- such as fuel cells, nuclear energy and wind and wave power -- to combat global warming. 

Sha Zukang, UN under secretary general for economic and social affairs, strongly criticised developed countries for failing to keep previous promises given to poor countries. 

"The transfer of technology is not good enough, to put it mildly. Commitments are repeated hundreds of thousands of times, but these commitments are not honoured," he said. 

China had admitted last month that the level of emissions it produces is now in level with the world's biggest producer of greenhouse gases -- the United States.

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