Third, take the lead in carrying out practical cooperation. Financing and technology are crucial but weak links in cooperation on climate change. There is now a huge funding gap in international cooperation on climate change. We should work to improve the Global Environment Facility (GEF) and other existing financing mechanisms and promptly implement the projects under the Adaptation Fund to provide new and additional financial support for developing countries as they endeavor to adapt to climate change. Scientific and technological progress and innovation, as an effective means to mitigate greenhouse gas emissions and enhance adaptation capabilities, plays a pace-setting role and buttresses the efforts to tackle climate change. The international community should work to establish effective technology transfer and dissemination mechanisms and realize technology sharing to ensure that developing countries can get affordable technologies that are both climate-friendly and environment-friendly. Given the strong complementarities that our countries have, we are fully capable of taking the lead in carrying out technological cooperation in this regard.

Dear colleagues,

China is among the countries rather seriously affected by the negative impact of climate change. When looking at China’s emissions, it is necessary to take into account the following three factors. First, China is a developing country in the process of industrialization and modernization. It faces imbalances in terms of development between the urban and rural areas, among different regions, and between the economic sector and the social sector, and people’s living standard is still not high. China’s central task now is to develop the economy and make life better for the people. Second, China’s per capita emission is relatively low, and is even lower if calculated in accumulative terms. A significant share of China’s total emissions falls in the category of subsistence emissions necessary to meet people’s basic needs. Third, as a result of changes in international division of labor and manufacturing relocation, China faces mounting pressure of international transferred emission.

The Chinese Government, with a responsible attitude towards the Chinese people and people of the whole world, takes climate change very seriously. We have made it a strategic task to build a conservation culture and we adhere to the basic state policy of conserving resources and protecting the environment. We are making efforts to ensure that our industrial structure, growth model and consumption pattern are energy and resource efficient and environment-friendly. We have, in line with our economic and social development plans and sustainable development strategy, formulated China’s National Climate Change Program, set up the National Leading Group to Address Climate Change, promulgated a series of laws and regulations and adopted a host of measures to tackle climate change.

We started our efforts by saving energy and cutting emissions. We have taken a series of measures, including conserving energy, improving energy mix, raising energy efficiency and promoting afforestation, and have achieved noticeable results. We have set the clear targets that the year end energy intensity per unit of GDP of 2005 will be reduced by 20 percent by 2010, total discharge of major pollutants will be cut by 10 percent and forest coverage will increase to 20 percent from the 2005 figure of 18.2 percent. We are firmly committed to meeting these targets.

To adapt to climate change, China has made continued efforts to strengthen adaptation capacities in the fields of agriculture, natural and ecological systems and water resources. We place great importance on disaster prevention and reduction and minimizing the losses caused by disastrous weather conditions and extreme climate events.

Dear colleagues,

China will, in accordance with the requirements of the UNFCCC and its Kyoto Protocol and the principle of common but differentiated responsibilities, actively promote negotiations on the implementation of the Bali Road Map and make greater contribution to international cooperation on climate change. China is ready to work unremittingly with the rest of the international community to achieve harmonious, clean and sustainable development in the world.

Thank you!

(Source: www.fmprc.gov.cn)