Beijing sets target for emissions

BEIJING - China has galvanised the run-up to the climate change talks in Copenhagen by announcing a target to reduce its carbon footprint. It is the first time the world's biggest producer of greenhouse gases has committed itself to a reduction, and came a day after the United States announced its own target.

Taken together, these signals of intent by the world's two biggest producers give a powerful boost to the prospects for the talks. China said it would cut emissions of carbon relative to economic growth by 40 to 45 per cent by 2020 compared with 2005 levels.

Because its economy is still growing fast, this means that in absolute terms China's emissions will continue to rise fast for at least a decade. But for the first time China has agreed to slow the pace of growth of emissions.

"This is a voluntary action taken by the Chinese Government based on its own national conditions and is a major contribution to the global effort in tackling climate change," the State Council said in a statement quoted by the Xinhua news agency yesterday.

The announcement of the target came as Beijing was again clouded in smog, a grim reminder of the need for China to do something about its worsening environmental situation.

The leadership in Beijing is increasingly aware of the need for China to cut its carbon emissions, especially given the country's heavy reliance on expensive, and dirty, coal.

Coal accounts for 69 per cent of primary energy in China, 42 per cent higher than the world's average.

The country is forced to live with the consequences of burning fossil fuels: smoggy skies, worsening typhoons, desertification and melting glaciers.

But environmental groups said they feared the measures announced by China might be too little to stop the worsening climate change crisis.

"Given the urgency and magnitude of the climate change crisis, China needs stronger measures to tackle climate change," said Ailun Yang of Greenpeace China.

Beijing also announced that Prime Minister Wen Jiabao would attend the Copenhagen conference that starts on December 7.

- Independent