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West told to keep its promises on tech transfer

By Li Jing (China Daily)
Updated: 2008-10-29 07:02

Developed countries have failed to deliver on commitments made on funding and technology transfer to help developing countries combat global warming, a senior official with the National Development and Reform Commission said Tuesday.

Speaking at a press conference in Beijing, Gao Guangsheng, with the commission's climate change department, said: "China will play its part as a developing country in tackling climate change, but a prerequisite is that developed countries provide funds and transfer technologies.

"A large amount of financial support is necessary for developing countries to adapt to and mitigate the impact of climate change, but the current funding from rich countries amounts to virtually nothing," he said.

Under the Kyoto Protocol and the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, developed countries are obliged to provide financial support and transfer technology to developing countries with favorable terms.

Lin Erda, one of China's leading negotiators on climate change, told China Daily earlier that the adaptation cost for developing countries is estimated by the United Nations Development Program at $86 billion to $109 billion a year. But developed countries have so far offered just $5 billion to $10 billion.

Members of the Group of 77 developing countries and China have said funding from developed countries should equate to 1 percent of their GDP, Gao said.

Meanwhile, the lack of an effective mechanism to facilitate technology transfer from developed countries has also hampered the fight against global warming, Gao said.

"More than 90 percent of the advanced technology related to climate change is in the hands of developed countries," he said.

"But they are reluctant to provide it to developing countries out of concern for losing their competitiveness."

China will propose a new mechanism to help spread green technologies worldwide at a high-level conference organized by the United Nations and the Chinese government to be held in Beijing on Nov 7, Gao said.

The mechanism will provide better protection for intellectual property, thus encouraging the development of new technologies, he said.

The government has also worked out a detailed list of technologies that China needs, and its scientists will continue to update the list as new requirements arise, he said.

At the two-day conference, Premier Wen Jiabao will give a keynote speech, underscoring the seriousness of China's technology demands, Gao said.