1st LD-Writethru: China insists on common but differentiated responsibilities in new climate plan

In a national pledge plan submitted to the United Nations on Tuesday, China said the outcomes of the negotiation on a new climate change agreement should follow the principles of equity and common but differentiated responsibilities and respective capabilities.

New climate pact should also take into account differentiated historical responsibilities and distinct national circumstances, development stages and the capabilities of developed and developing countries, China said in the plan titled "Intended Nationally Determined Contributions (INDC)".

"China is committed to ... working with other parties to achieve a comprehensive, balanced and ambitious agreement at the Paris Conference," said the plan.

Nations worldwide are scheduled to gather in Paris late this year for a key UN climate conference, when the United Nations hopes the international community will reach a new, universally binding climate pact with a long-term goal of limiting the maximum global average temperature increase to no more than 2 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels.

China expected the new climate pact to reflect all elements in a comprehensive and balanced way, including mitigation, adaptation, finance, technology development and transfer, capacity building and transparency of action and support, the document said.

The negotiation process should be open, transparent, inclusive, party-driven and consensus-based, according to the plan.

Under the new pact, developed countries should, in accordance with their historical responsibilities, undertake economy-wide absolute quantified emissions reduction targets by 2030.

Developing countries should undertake diversifying enhanced mitigation actions, with the provision of finance, technology and capacity building by developed countries, it said.

Under the new agreement, developed nations should provide "new, additional, adequate, predictable and sustained financial support" to developing countries for their enhanced actions, it said.

The new pact should contain "quantified financing targets and a roadmap to achieve them", and the scale of financing should increase yearly starting from 100 billion U.S. dollars per year from 2020, according to the plan.

China also said in the plan that it would take on international commitments that match its national circumstances, development stage and capabilities by enhancing mitigation and adaptation actions and further strengthening South-South cooperation on climate change.

China also promised to establish the Fund for South-South Cooperation on Climate Change, provide assistance and support to other developing countries including the small island developing countries, the least developed countries and African countries to address climate change. Endi