China to cut gas emissions

The State Council has mapped out China's plan to tackle climate change. It announced that the country is going to reduce the intensity of carbon dioxide emissions per unit of GDP in 2020 by 40 to 45 percent compared with 2005 levels.

China unveiled its first firm target to curb greenhouse gas emissions on Thursday.

The State Council said it promises to cut carbon intensity up to 45 percent by 2020. The move is a "binding goal", that will also strengthen various policies to reach the target, including taxation and financial measures.

Meanwhile, China has set a goal to supply 15 percent of primary energy consumption with non-fossil fuels by 2020.

The country will also increase its forest carbon sink by 40 million hectares, and its forest coverage stock volume by over 1 billion cubic meters.

Xie Zhenhua, vice chairman of Nat'l Development Reform Comm., said, "China is still a developing country. Its per capita GDP is only about 3000 US dollars. Its economic development level is relatively low. China is at an important stage of accelerated industrialization and urbanization. We face enormous pressures and difficulties for the control of green house gas emissions. Even so, the government set out targets for long term benefits of the human race. This is a voluntary action taken by the Chinese government. It demonstrates the responsibility and determination China has in coping with the issue of climate change."

The Chinese cabinet reiterated the principled stand of implementing the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change and the Kyoto Protocol.

China also said that the UNFCCC and Kyoto Protocol should be carried out in a comprehensive, effective and lasting way. It said alleviating emissions, adaptation, technology transfers and financial support should be coordinated in a way to help bring about positive results for the upcoming UN Climate Change Conference in December, in Copenhagen.

Vice Foreign Minister He Yafei said, "China values international cooperation in handling climate change. Recently, Chinese leaders have raised the issue at a number of diplomatic occasions. For example, the dialogue between President Hu Jintao and US President Barack Obama in Beijing, the APEC Leader's meeting in Singapore, and the Sino-African Forum in Egypt. In December, Premier Wen Jiabao will attend the Copenhagen conference. Climate change has indeed become a key task of China's diplomacy. "

Officials also said, that climate change is both an environmental issue, as well as an economic one. Developed nations should pay attention to the reasonable needs of less developed countries, and cooperate to tackle the global problem.

Earlier, the Obama administration said it would pledge to cut U.S. greenhouse gas emissions by roughly 17 percent below 2005 levels by 2020.