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Developed countries pressured to step up

By Li Jing (China Daily)
Updated: 2009-05-21 08:06

Developing countries must stand united at upcoming climate talks and pressure developed nations to meet their responsibility to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

That is the message climate negotiators and experts from China, Brazil, India and South Africa will take to next month's Bonn climate talks.

The experts gathered in Shanghai yesterday to discuss negotiating strategies ahead of the crucial meeting.

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The Bonn talks are seen as a key stage in the effort to thrash out a global climate change deal in the lead-up to the Copenhagen conference in December.

Each developing country has its own range of concerns, said Ambassador Yu Qingtai, China's special representative for climate change talks.

"But what is more important is that we share common interests," said Yu. "We are the victims of climate change, the developed countries, the problem-makers, have no right to oblige us to share as much responsibility as theirs."

Developed countries are employing "delaying tactics", which have resulted in stalemate at climate negotiations, said Sergio B. Serra, Brazil's Ambassador for Climate Change.

The Kyoto Protocol, which will expire in 2012, set binding targets for 38 industrialized countries and the European community for reducing greenhouse gas emissions. The agreement calls on participants to reduce collective emissions by at least 5 percent from the 1990 level by 2012.

The Bali Road Map charts the course post-2012.

"The negotiation is already falling behind the Bali Road Map, with too much time spent on procedures," said Yu.

China has insisted upon developed nations committing to cut emissions by 40 percent before 2020 while also ramping up funding for developing countries, Yu said.