China on path of carbon emission reduction

Aiming to become a greener economy, China has been working hard on its targets for carbon emission and energy intensity cuts in industrial production. Some environmentalists say the country's achievements in reducing carbon emissions and tackling climate change deserve recognition.

Although it is not an easy task, China has been striving to put into practice the promise it has made-- to cut its carbon dioxide emissions per unit of GDP by 40 to 45 percent by 2020 compared with the levels of 2005.

Professor Zeng Xiangang from Renmin University of China, said, "Although not regulated by the Kyoto Protocol, China has been voluntarily working on saving energy and reducing emissions. During the past five years, China has reduced 1.5 billion tons of carbon emissions in total. It is a remarkable job."

Zeng Xiangang has been studying China's work on curbing carbon emissions for many years. He says despite China's great efforts and achievements, many western countries have been accusing China of being too soft on the reduction job, and require China to further limit its carbon emissions.

Professor Zeng Xiangang said, "The key issue is about rights and obligations. After many years of development, the developed nations focus more on obligations to protect the environment. But for other developing countries like China, the right to develop is more important."

It is a complicated question, as Zeng points out, which cannot be simply judged by numbers. Each country should base its development on its own situation and explore a new development path that is more efficient and sustainable, costs less, and results in fewer carbon emissions. The developed countries' requirements and accusations, Zeng says, are unfair, and unacceptable.

Professor Zeng Xiangang said, "We must notice that China has a huge population of 1.4 billion people. China is now on its way of industrialization and urbanization, which of course will lead to more carbon emissions. Besides, geographical reasons have determined that China's major energy is coal. These factors combine to make China a large carbon emitter."

China's economic development over the past three decades has relied on labor- and energy-intensive growth. In recent years, China has been aware of the importance of environmental protection, and has devoted much money to saving energy and curbing emissions. Earlier this year, China again vowed to the world it would reduce both energy consumption and carbon emissions per unit of GDP by 18 percent over the next five years.