Developed countries should be responsible for their accumulative emissions and current high per-capita emissions, and take the lead in reducing emissions, in addition to providing financial support and transferring technologies to developing countries.

The developing countries, while developing their economies and fighting poverty, should actively adopt adaptation measures, reduce their emissions to the lowest degree and fulfill their duties in addressing climate change.

China has enacted policies to address issue of climate change. According to a five-year plan, the energy consumption per-unit GDP is expected to drop by about 20 percent by 2010 compared to that of 2005.

Another target set by China is to raise the proportion of renewable energy (including large-scale hydropower) in the total energy consumption to 10 percent by 2010. Meanwhile, a 20-percent increase in the forest coverage rate is also expected to be realized.

Further cooperation

Zhang Haibin noted that the governments of the two countries can establish a sustainable dialogue mechanism on energy and climate change.The United States should provide related Official Development Assistance as well as preferential treatment on loans, financing and technology transfer to China.

"At the early stage, it is important to launch some large pilot projects. The experience of successful cases can be drawn upon and introduced gradually. Both determination and patience are essential for bilateral cooperation," he stressed.

Meanwhile, he highlighted non-governmental cooperation in tackling climate change, which cannot be neglected.

China and the United States have worked together actively in the field of fossil energy since the 1980s. The two countries signed the China-US Fossil Energy Protocol in 1985. In 2006, the Ministry of Science and Technology of China and the US Department of Energy reviewed the implementation of the protocol and four project annexes, namely, Cooperation in the Area of Power Systems, Cooperation in the Areas of Oil and Gas, and Cooperation in the Areas of Environmental Technologies and Climate Science, extending the validity term to 2010.

Zhang Haibin said that the two countries can make joint efforts in many fields, such as improvement of energy efficiency and development of new energies including wind power, solar power and biofuels. Moreover, the US experience on related research and management can be learned by China.

"The United States should communicate more with China to understand its concerns and reach consensus," he added.

(Xinhua News Agency February 20, 2009)