Chinese Negotiator:Climate Talks Entering "Crucial Stage"

Negotiations at the UN climate change conference in Copenhagen have entered a crucial stage now that chairs of the two major working groups have proposed draft texts.

The head of the Chinese delegation to the conference says the ensuing talks will focus on targets set for emission cuts, and how developed nations will provide support.

The working groups on long-term cooperative action under the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change and on the Kyoto Protocol have put forward their draft decision papers.

Ministers from about 50 nations are working to agree on the two draft texts before more than 100 heads of state and government convene in Copenhagen later this week.

Xie Zhenhua, head of the Chinese delegation at the Copenhagen Conference, says the draft proposals reflect common but differentiated responsibilities, and will help in reaching a final agreement. He believes the drafts include the double-track mechanism developing countries are calling for.

Xie Zhenhua said the final sticking point is that developed countries now want their developing counterparts to make "measurable, reportable and verifiable" emissions reduction commitments or mitigation actions.

"According to the Bali Roadmap, it is developed countries whose emissions reduction targets, technology transfers and funding supplies must be 'measurable, reportable and verifiable.' But developing countries are required to adhere to the same standards if they have received technology and funding support. We refuse to accept the standards for mitigation actions that we take on our own."

Xie also said China is willing to let African countries and island nations have priority in receiving funding from developed countries.

"China is willing to give financial support to the most underdeveloped countries, African countries and small island nations through South-South cooperation and bilateral cooperation."

Meanwhile, negotiators from other countries are optimistic on the outcome of UN climate talks.

Ed Miliband, the British climate change secretary, says ministers and negotiators should take concrete action to resolve some of the remaining issues.

"There are still difficult issues of process and substance that we have to overcome in the coming days. I think the issues of process are around coordinating views, comments and interests of countries gathered in this negotiation, around the two texts that we have on the table, which I do think provide basis for moving forward but clearly there are issues to be dealt with in those texts."

The draft texts endorse goals to keep global average temperature increases within 1.5 to 2 degrees.

The texts also contain in brackets three still un-agreed on options for developed nations' emissions reduction commitments. Those options are a reduction of either "75 to 85," "at least 80 to 95," or "more than 95 percent" of 1990 levels by 2050.

Chen Zhe CRI News