Environmental Engineering Reference
In-Depth Information
But soon the EU recognized the difficulties for the climate change negotiation and
took a more practical stance in it as European scholars began to reassess its
unrealistic policies and targets
10
and listen to China's stance as well.
11
Meanwhile, China became the largest emitter surpassing US in the annual GHG
emissions. China now faces growing international pressure to reduce emissions
dramatically - a completely different context than when China was regarded as a
small emitter during the beginning of international climate change negotiations in
the 1990s.
12
Therefore, China calls for closer international cooperation in emissions
reduction, laying a solid foundation for the two parties' cooperation thanks to the
EU's advantages in emissions reduction ability and advanced technologies.
13
Closer bilateral cooperation in climate change will ease pressure on China in
international negotiations, setting an example to other countries as well. The EU
has an internal consensus on addressing climate change, political stability, strong
leadership in international cooperation and capacity to provide technological and
financial assistance to developing countries.
14
Moreover, the EU and China have
less friction in other strategic issues, sharing more cooperation than competition.
15
China shall strengthen bilateral negotiation with EU member countries in order to
reach consensus in emissions reduction goals, means, technology and financial
assistance. On the one hand, the cooperation between China and EU and other
countries will definitely ease much more pressure on China, ameliorating China's
double pressure from US and EU. On the other hand, the cooperation in emissions-
reduction technologies and economy will also force the US to keep up with the pace
and reduce the level of emissions with concrete steps, thus leaving more GHG
emission space for developing countries for their sustainable development.
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The
May 05, 2010,
http://www.spiegel.de/international/world/0,1518,692861-3,00.html
; Antto
Vihma, Elephant in the Room, The New G77 and China Dynamics in Climate Talks, Briefing
Paper 6, The Finnish Institute of International Affairs ,May 26, 2010, pp. 1-9. Francois Godement.
Policy brief: “A Global China Policy, European Council on Foreign Relations, June 2010,
http://
10
Gwyn Prins, et al, The Hartwell Paper: A new direction for climate policy after the crash of
2009,
Hartwell House, Buckinghamshire,
May 2010.
11
Author's interview with the UK climate change officer, Beijing, 2010.7
12
Alliance Of Small Island States (AOSIS) , Alliance Of Small Island States (AOSIS) Declaration
On Climate Change 2009, New York, September 21, 2009.
13
Artur Runge-Metzger, the EU-China Partnership on Climate Change, EU China Observer, Issue
1, 2010,pp. 2-7.
14
280 million Euros were funded by EU countries in the energy cooperation projects to China
from 2001 to 2008 (See: Artur Runge-Metzger, The EU-China Partnership on Climate Change ,
EU-China Observer, Issue 1, 2010,
http://www.coleurop.be/file/content/studyprogrammes/ird/
15
Email between the author and EU climate change negotiation officer, 2009.11.19. Talks
between the author and the UK climate change officer, Beijing, 2010.6.15
16
People of vision in US recognized EU, Japan and China's investment in new energy sector
surpassed that of US so that the internal divergence has influenced the future competing role of US
in low-carbon economy. US therefore will catch up sooner or later. See:Steve Benen, “ Political
Animal”,
Washington Monthly
, August 17, 2010.
