Reuters AlertNet Lite - China shrugs off EU calls for climate change action

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China shrugs off EU calls for climate change action

29 May 2007 09:23:09 GMT
Source: Reuters

BEIJING, May 29 (Reuters) - China shrugged off on Tuesday calls from the European Union to take more action on climate change, saying it was still a developing country and it was up to industrialised nations to shoulder more responsibility.

EU External Relations Commissioner Benita Ferrero-Waldner stressed the need for China to do more to combat rising global temperatures during a meeting with Chinese Foreign Minister Yang Jiechi in Germany.

"China, India and other developing countries are victims of the effects of climate change," Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Jiang Yu told a regular briefing.

"We have taken a positive attitude and attach importance toward it and have taken effective means to reduce the impact of climate change," she said.

China could overtake the United States to become the top emitter of greenhouse gases as early as this year, but Beijing has rejected caps on its emissions growth.

Jiang repeated calls for more technology transfers from developed countries and said China, whose energy consumption has boomed in line with its years of double-digit economic growth, was trying to become more efficient and reduce dependence on coal.

But she said the onus was on rich countries to do more.

"We believe the developed countries have the capacity and responsibility to take further contributions in this regard, to take the lead on the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions," Jiang said.

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Last updated:Tue May 29 09:25:28 2007