by Deng Hongbo

Since the Copenhagen conference was concluded, all parties have been evaluating the outcome. Though China has made tremendous efforts to tackle climate change with notable achievements, some people have been making unreasonable demands.

Some have pressed China to undertake mandatory emissions reductions, claiming that the country's emissions reduction measures are not strong enough.

Some have even wrongly accused China of blocking the Copenhagen conference for its own economic interest and say China is to blame for the conference's so-called failure.

The principle of "common but differentiated responsibilities" established by the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) is the bedrock of international cooperation on climate change.

However, in the past few years, there has occurred a tendency to intentionally play down differentiated responsibilities while putting undue emphasis on common responsibilities between developed and developing countries.

In this context, the position of China, the largest developing country in the world, has been followed by many.

The fact is that China has never shaken off its determination nor slowed down its pace in tackling climate change even when the international financial crisis hit.

As the first developing country to adopt and implement a National Climate Change Programme, China has made the most intensive efforts in energy conservation and pollution reduction in recent years, and has enjoyed the fastest growth of new energy and renewable energy.

Facing the arduous task of developing its economy and improving the people's livelihood, China has no choice but to take the improvement of the people's livelihood as its priority task.

Even so, China has never given up efforts to address the issue of climate change that bear on the survival of mankind.

Prior to Copenhagen, the Chinese Government announced voluntarily that it would reduce the intensity of carbon dioxide emissions per unit of GDP in 2020 by 40 to 45 per cent compared with the level of 2005.

It undertook to develop renewable and nuclear energies to ensure the consumption of non-fossil power accounts for 15 per cent of the country's total primary energy needs by 2020.

It also undertook to plant more trees and increase the country's forest area and stock volume by 40 million hectares and 1.3 billion cubic metres, respectively, from the level of 2005.

Because coal is its primary source of energy, China is confronted with special difficulties in reducing emissions.

Taking all these things into full account, one can see that China's climate efforts do not pale in comparison with those of any developed nation.

The intentional downplay of China's efforts in tackling climate change is irresponsible.

China views the outcome of the Copenhagen conference as positive, though not satisfactory. First, the principle of "common but differentiated responsibilities" established by the UNFCCC and its Kyoto Protocol was firmly upheld, which is also in the interest of African countries.

Second, new steps were taken in relation to the mandatory emissions curbs by developed countries and voluntary mitigation actions by developing countries.

It is groundless to blame China for the so-called failure of the conference. Climate change is a global issue and no country, including China, could be immune from its impact.

In fact, China is one of the countries that is most susceptible to the adverse effects of climate change, mainly in agriculture, livestock breeding, forestry, natural ecosystems, water resources and coastal zones.

(Mr Deng is the Chinese ambassador to Kenya)