Mission and Vision: 2013 UN Climate Change Conference in Warsaw

CLIMATE change is a common challenge to all human beings. How we respond to it has impact on our existence and development， as well as on the immediate interests of every country in the world. No one is immune from it.

Only through global cooperation， government coordination and concrete action will we be able to effectively address climate change， and to realize global environmental governance and sustainable development for humanity.

Doha Conference： the Key Link

The United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change （UNFCCC）， adopted in 1992， initiated global efforts to address climate change. The principles of “common but differentiated responsibilities，” equity and related capabilities laid a solid foundation for the cooperation of different parties， and set the direction for joint efforts. For over two decades， the signatory parties have carried out international cooperation on climate change under the framework of the Kyoto Protocol， promoting systemic development and making steady progress， despite difficulties and setbacks.

Years of diligence and perseverance have finally borne fruit. At the end of 2012， the Doha Climate Change Conference successfully concluded nego-tiations for the Bali Road Map， which made many important breakthroughs. First， it confirmed the second commitment period of the Kyoto Protocol. At the conference an amendment to the Protocol was adopted. It includes quantified emission reduction targets in 38 developed country parties to the second commitment period， from 2013 to 2020. According to the amendment， the 38 industrialized countries should reduce their overall emissions by at least 18 percent below 1990 levels. The parties also decided to establish a mechanism to raise the reduction targets of developed countries in the second commitment period， requiring them to enhance reduction efforts in 2014， based on their historical responsibility as well as scientific assessment.

Second， the conference made arrangements for the Kyoto Protocol to continue to work in holistic and effective ways. The meeting reaffirmed the temperature-rise control target of two degrees Celsius， and maintained the differentiated responsibilities of developed countries in their reduction commitments， and developing countries in mitigation actions. It urged the organizations and mechanisms working on adaptation， finance， technology and capacity-building to start operations quickly， and responded to developing countries’ pressing appeals in these regards with preliminary arrangements. Also， more thoughts were given to the “Durban Platform，” an agreement reached to plan the international reduction system arrangement after 2020 and to strengthen actions before then. It was confirmed that the Platform functions under the principles of the Kyoto Protocol， and works within related policy frameworks to lay a sound foundation for future action plans addressing climate change.

The Doha Conference acted as a key link between the past and future. With the Bali Road Map rolled out， and the Durban Platform setting sail， global efforts to tackle climate change have entered a new stage.

Warsaw Conference： Implementation

The hard-earned fruits of the Doha Conference can only be sustained through solid implementation. By maintaining mutual political trust among all parties we shall be able to accumulate the most positive energy for promoting future talks on mechanisms to address climate change. For these reasons， carrying out the Bali Road Map and honoring the sanctified commitments of signatories should be the main theme of the UN Climate Change Conference to be held in Warsaw at the end of this year.

To carry out the Bali Road Map， two major concerns of the developing countries should be given priority. First， the low reduction levels of developed countries： to ensure their commitments are enacted， the developed country parties should ratify the amendment to the second commitment period as soon as possible， and raise their reduction targets in 2014， as stipulated at the Doha Conference. Developed countries not taking part in the second commitment period should also increase their reduction levels proportionately to that of those participating.

Second， funding issues， the biggest concern of developing countries： industrialized countries should fulfill their pledges and provide funding no less than the levels of fast-start finance （about US $30 billion） to developing countries during the period 2013-2015. They should also honor their commitment to raise US $100 billion per year before 2020 for developing countries.

The above issues are not only the core concerns of developing countries， but also the basis for further negotiations on mitigation， adaptation， technology， and capacity-building. More importantly， they could affect mutual political trust between developing and developed countries. Properly handled， these problems could well transform into favorable conditions for the upcoming negotiations at the Warsaw Conference.

On the other hand， the Warsaw Conference should also carry forward the Durban Platform， so that reduction arrangements for the period after 2020 proceed smoothly in 2015. As long as all parties work toward a common goal and properly address each other’s major concerns， the Durban Platform negotiations will natu- rally produce the expected positive results. To reach this goal， all parties should adhere to the Durban Platform talks’ principles of “common but differentiated responsibilities，” equity， and respective capabilities. These points constitute political consensus reached by different parties on the issue of climate change. They are supporting pillars for the establishment of a legal framework to address climate change， and a starting point for the international community on climate change cooperation.

China in Action

China is a developing country widely affected by the adverse effects of climate change. The Chinese government has always attached great importance to addressing the climate change issue. It has been proactively participating in international talks on climate change and sharing constructive ideas， adopting a series of strong measures as a responsible country for the sustainable development of its own people and humankind. The National People’s Congress， China’s legislative body， has included the country’s targets in addressing climate change in the obligatory category of its 12th Five-Year Plan. The 18th National Congress of the CPC in 2012 also clearly set forth that China would fully implement its Scientific Outlook on Development， promote ecological progress， speed up transformation of the growth model， and strive to promote green， circular and low-carbon development. This is China’s choice for future growth patterns， and also an important contribution to the global efforts on climate change. Also， under the framework of South-South Cooperation， China has been promoting cooperation with African and small island countries. During the period 2011 to 2013， China invested RMB 200 million in cooperation programs with developing countries， to jointly increase their capacities for responding to climate change.

Next， China will expand the scope， as well as enhance the depth， of cooperation， while ensuring the consistency of its investment.

To address the issue of climate change， humanity needs to work tirelessly over prolonged periods of time. It also takes time and sustained efforts to establish a fair and reasonable working mechanism for international cooperation. With a new round of talks around the corner， we face daunting tasks within a tight schedule. It is vital that all countries adhere to the guiding principles and our previous consensus， and work together to promote new and positive progress in international cooperation efforts on climate change. China will work alongside various parties and contribute its share to the establishment of a fair and just international cooperation mechanism， toward our common goal of protecting our climate and environment.