“China and India have announced very ambitious national climate change plans. In the case of China, so ambitious that it could well become the front-runner in the fight to address climate change,’’ Boer said. “The big question mark is the US.’’
The development would mark a dramatic turnabout in the international climate debate. The United States, under President George W. Bush’s administration, long cited inaction by China and India as the reason for rejecting mandatory cuts in greenhouse gases. Today’s meeting is intended to rally momentum for crafting a new global climate pact at Copenhagen in December. Bush rejected the 1997 Kyoto Protocol for cutting global emissions of warming gases based on its impact on the US economy and exclusion of major developing nations like China and India, both major polluters.
Su Wei, director of China’s climate change department, pledged a “proactive’’ approach to make Copenhagen a success.
“China takes the threat of climate change very seriously and fully recognizes the urgency to take actions,’’ he said, flanked by top climate negotiators from the US, India and Denmark at a news conference yesterday.
Jairam Ramesh, India’s environment minister, said his nation was also committed to reaching a global climate accord.
“India wants a deal at Copenhagen. And India is prepared to be an active player in working towards an agreement . . .. It is in our interests . . . because we are very climate-vulnerable,’’ Ramesh said.
Todd Stern, the top US climate envoy, said the Obama administration also is moving “full speed ahead’’ toward helping craft a deal. But with Congress moving slowly on a measure to curb emissions, the United States could soon find itself with little influence when 120 countries convene in Copenhagen.
China and the United States together account for about 40 percent of all the world’s emissions of carbon dioxide, methane and other industrial warming gases.
