Experts: developed countries should assume more climate responsibilities

Chinese scholars said developed countries should shoulder more responsibilities in coping with climate change, echoing Chinese President Xi Jinping's speech at the climate change conference in Paris.

"For global issues like climate change, a 'take more, give less' approach based on expediency is in nobody's interest," Xi said at the opening ceremony on Monday, calling for all countries, especially developed ones, to assume more shared responsibilities for positive outcomes.

Analysts say rejecting a narrow-minded "zero sum game" mentality is necessary to reach a final agreement.

"The crux of climate change negotiations is obtaining financial and technical support for capacity building in developing countries and specifying a timetable and plan for funding support from developed countries after 2020," said Wang Ke, a researcher with Renmin University.

Xi stressed the importance of attending to the needs of developing countries. "Addressing climate change should not deny the legitimate need for developing countries to reduce poverty and improve living standards," he said.

During the 2009 Copenhagen conference, developed countries agreed to mobilize 100 billion U.S. dollars each year before 2020 and provide stronger financial support to developing countries. However, only 62 billion U.S. dollars had been raised as of 2014, according to an OECD report released in October.

To support developing countries in addressing climate change, Xi said China will start projects to set up 10 pilot low-carbon industrial parks, launch 100 mitigation and adaptation programs in other developing countries, and provide them with 1,000 training opportunities on climate change.

He also reiterated a pledge made in September to establish a 20-billion-yuan (about 3 billion dollars) South-South Climate Cooperation Fund.

"This shows China's consistent stance on supporting developing countries, and the measures announced could drive global action on climate change," said He Jiankun, a climate change expert at Tsinghua University.

China has set a goal of peak CO2 emissions at around 2030 and will strive to achieve it as soon as possible. China also pledged to reduce CO2 per unit of GDP by 60 to 65 percent from 2005 levels by 2030 in its Intended Nationally Determined Contributions.

"This requires strenuous efforts, but we have the confidence and resolve to fulfill our commitments," Xi said.

Climate change efforts are already part of China's medium- and long-term program of economic and social development, and ecological efforts feature prominently in the proposals for making China's 13th Five-Year Plan (2016-2020).

Xi said China will adopt new policy measures to improve its industrial mix, build a low-carbon energy system, develop green building and low-carbon transportation, and build a nationwide carbon emission trading market.

"As the largest developing country and a leading carbon dioxide emitter, China's efforts in climate change have spillover and role model effects globally," said Zhang Haibin, a professor at Peking University.

He said that China will transform from a participant and contributor to a leader in addressing climate change.

Xi pledged in his speech that China will not only pursue green development, but also promote international cooperation in areas such as clean energy, disaster prevention and mitigation, ecological protection, climate-smart agriculture, and low-carbon and smart cities.

China will help other developing countries increase their financing abilities, Xi said. Endi