The world needed a strong global strategy and concrete working plans, with more cohesion and fewer arguments if an agreeable solution to climate change was to be reached, a Chinese official told diplomats in Johannesburg on Wednesday.

China’s National Development and Reform Commission’s Institute for International Economic Research senior fellow and director Dr Haifeng Wang reiterated that for developing nations, the issue of climate change was one of the biggest developmental challenges facing countries, thus more cohesion on the matter was “urgently” needed.

Actions taken should be according to each country’s capacity and ability, and this would likely require a new ideology of global consensus, which was fair and balanced, based on morals and respect, and propelled the universal interest.

In determining different country responsibilities, he said it was important to look at a number of issues, namely: taking a historic perspective on accumulated emissions; taking congnisance of per capita emissions to get a fair perspective; making agreements binding for the rich, and voluntary for the poor; making technology transfer unconditional; and ensuring financial assistance in line with ability to do so.

Wang further explained that China’s domestic policy response on climate change was closely linked to the country’s five-year plans. The economic and social development plans set specific targets on pollutant emission and energy saving. The country aims to cut pollutant emissions by 10% per unit of GDP, and energy consumption by 20% per unit of GDP.

China had clear targets and projects related to climate change at the national, provincial and county level, and also compiled progress reports after mid-term assessments were conducted.

The South African Institute of International Affairs’ China in Africa project head Dr Chris Alden commended China on the institutionalisation of climate change policy at all levels, as well as the fact that the issue has been taken out of the purely environmental domain, and integrated into politics in a “serious way”.

With regard to international negotiations, China put forward a proposal under the Copenhagen Accord stating that it would cut between 40% and 45% of carbon-dioxide emissions per unit of GDP by 2020.

Similarly, the government had set a 2020 target for non-fossil fuel in primary energy – including nuclear and renewable energy – whereby the country would aim for 30 GW of installed capacity, which equates to about 15% of the country’s primary energy consumption.

Wang stated that China was still in the very early stages of the development of its economy, and faced many significant constraints in terms of capacity, financially, and environmentally.

“I don’t pretend to say that China wont emit – we need to [in order to] develop, and we have the right to develop. We need advanced economies to act more responsibly, otherwise it is very difficult for poor nations,” Wang said.

Wang also voiced concern over China being labelled a “very strong emerging power”, and said that country’s role was over estimated in certain instances.

“China is not a major player like the US or the European Union. It still plays a role with developing countries.”

He added that while the Basic countries (Brasil, South Africa, India, China) were playing an increasingly important role, that role was still limited, and the Basic forum was largely to facilitate dialogue and communication between the countries and share experiences and lessons learned.

“Basic can play some roles, such as encouraging developing countries to address climate change, and to ensure that the countries understand each others strategies,” Wang noted.

Further, when questioned on the impact of climate change denialism and the Email scandal which erupted before the global climate change conference in Copenhagen, on Chinese climate change policy, Wang said that he felt that China would continue to implement domestic policy.

“China will do it no matter what happens, but we hope for collective actions,” he concluded.

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