Home / Environment / Opinions Tools: Save | Print | E-mail | Most Read | Comment
Crisis won't deter fight against climate change
Adjust font size:

Nicholas Stern, former UK government advisor famous for his climate report, said a low-carbon infrastructure also represents huge investment opportunities. The International Energy Agency estimates that world energy infrastructure investments are likely to be around $1 trillion every year over the next two decades.

"If the majority of this is low carbon, it will be an outstanding source of investment demand," said Stern. "That's an opportunity both for China and the rest of the world."

How to turn the investment potential into reality? Chinese companies should set up "joint ventures" with technology groups in developed nations to pursue its aim of developing a "low-carbon" economy, Stern suggested, despite the fact that 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 on favorable terms.

But the developed countries, which have held more than 90 percent of the advanced technology related to climate change, are reluctant to provide it to developing countries out of concern for losing their competitiveness.

And many developed countries are blamed for failing to deliver on commitments made on funding and technology transfer to help developing countries combat global warming.

Currently, many developing countries, including China, have reached the consensus to develop their economy by using low-carbon technologies but the developed countries have required high transfer fees. And the high technology transfer fees have blocked many countries from using the advanced technologies.

Meanwhile, the weekly average oil prices of the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) dropped to $61.53 per barrel last week, the lowest price since the end of March 2007.

This may decrease incentives for the oil users to take measures to save energy and dampen the industry's enthusiasm in investing in developing renewable energy, which may not become cost-competitive and economical.

Facing the new changes, it will become a demanding negotiation between developing countries, including China, and rich countries, to set up an effective mechanism to facilitate technology transfer from industrialized countries.

At the strategic level, the gesture China made yesterday is vital. But from the point view of its implementation, more efforts and negotiations are along the way.

(China Daily October 30, 2008)

     1   2  


Tools: Save | Print | E-mail | Most Read
Comment
Pet Name
Anonymous

China Archives
Related >>
- China issues post-Kyoto plans on climate change
- China issues White Paper on addressing climate change
- White paper: China's policies and actions on climate change
- Beijing to co-host high level conference on climate change
- Climate change risks worse than economy
- EU summit focuses on financial crisis, climate change
Most Viewed >>
- Herdsman killed as snows cover Tibet
- Wild giant panda's food chain destroyed by quake
- White paper: China's policies and actions on climate change
- 10 rare flowers and plants in the world
- Greenpeace exposes hidden cost of China's coal
Air Quality 
Cities Major Pollutant Air Quality Level
Beijing particulate matter II
Shanghai particulate matter II
Guangzhou particulate matter II
Chongqing particulate matter I
Xi'an particulate matter III1
NGO Events Calendar Tips
- Environmental English Training (EET) class
- Hand in hand to protect endangered animals and plants
- Changchun, Mini-marathon Aimed at Protecting Siberian Tiger
- Water Walk by Nature University
- Green Earth Documentary Salon
More
Archives
Sichuan Earthquake

An earthquake measuring 7.8 on the Richter scale jolted Sichuan Province at 2:28 PM on May 12.

Panda Facts
A record 28 panda cubs born via artificial insemination have survived in 2006.
South China Karst
Rich and unique karst landforms located in south China display exceptional natural beauty.
Saving the Tibetan Antelopes
The rare animals survive in the harsh natural environment of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau.
More
Laws & Regulations
- Forestry Law of the People's Republic of China
- Meteorology Law of the People's Republic of China
- Fire Control Law of the People's Republic of China
- Law on Protecting Against and Mitigating Earthquake Disasters
- Law of the People's Republic of China on Conserving Energy
More
Links:
State Environmental Protection Administration
Ministry of Water Resources
Ministry of Land and Resources
China Environmental Industry Network
Chengdu Giant Panda Research Base