Dialogue with Alex Wang, senior attoney of NRDC
- Source: Global Times
- [15:31 December 03 2009]
- Comments
Alex Wang, senior attorney and director of the China Environmental Law project of the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) talked about the upcoming Copenhagen summit with the Global Times on November 30.
Although 187 countries have ratified the Kyoto Protocol, why there is no effective implementation to curb carbon emissions globally?
The stars are aligning now. Now that there is a general agreement that climate change will have catastrophic consequences for the globe if we do not act, experience with the implementation of the Kyoto Protocol shows the great potential for economic prosperity through developing low-carbon technology for the future. And perhaps most importantly the world's two largest emitters are finally taking the problem of global warming quite seriously.
The absence of the US from the Kyoto framework was a serious barrier to effective action to reduce greenhouse gas emissions globally. This is now changing. We are in a new era.
Do you think the US will finally join in and make a concerted effort to cut greenhouse gas emissions? And do you think a 17 percent emissions cut is enough to solve the problem?
The US is farther along than it has ever been in pushing for serious action on climate change. The US House of Representatives has already passed a bill on climate change and the Senate is now considering its own bill. The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) can regulate greenhouse gases as well if necessary. The US has invested more in clean energy and energy efficient technologies than any other country in the world.
US President Barack Obama's proposal to reduce US greenhouse gas emissions by 17 percent from 2005 levels by 2020 is a very positive sign for the Copenhagen negotiations, although we think the US can do better and help position the US economy to take advantage of green jobs and low-carbon economic opportunities in the future.
China also announced its emissions reduction target of 40 percent to 45 percent by 2020, what do you think of this target?
I think the timing is quite positive. It's coming a week before Copenhagen. And it sets stage for the negotiations China has been implementing its energy intensity target in the 11th five-year plan. They've been initiating different programs to try to meet this target. If you take an example of renewable targets, they regularly exceed the target. So this is why we think it is quite possible for China to go beyond 40 percent to 45 percent. And it's also in China's national interest. It's good for China's energy security, good for reducing pollution, and good for the economy. China has an ability to reach further and also there are a lot of reasons like national interest that they can really go further.
Do you think there should be a difference between developed countries and developing countries in terms of emission cuts?
It makes sense that developed countries with their greater resources and more substantial historical emissions should take on a commensurately greater role in reducing emissions. But developing countries should also step up aggressively on low-carbon development otherwise they will be left out of the economic opportunities that will present themselves as the world heads towards a low-carbon future.
