China seems to be looking ahead to future climate talks beyond the Copenhagen gathering scheduled for December.
On Friday, Vice Foreign Minister He Yafei told reporters that if negotiations are to continue, the Copenhagen should set guidelines for “the next stage” of talks.
While many had hoped the December meeting could result in an agreement on global warming that would replace a soon-to-expire Kyoto protocol, reports say pre-conference talks between major players have already started to break down.
China and the U.S., seen as the two largest sources of greenhouse gases, have been unable to agree on how to curb emissions.
Washington wants China to severely limit its emissions, but Beijing says developed nations like the U.S. should set the standard.
China is the world’s largest emitter of greenhouse gases, but the U.S. is the second largest greenhouse gas producer per capita after Australia.
Read an RFA article on how climate change has already contributed to glacial melt in Tibet, which is affecting the flow of China’s major river arteries.
Filed under: Traveling down the Mekong River | Tagged: environment, climate change, kyoto protocol, greenhouse gas, emissions, copenhagen climate conference
