http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2009/nov/26/china-targets-cut-carbon-footprint
Ok so China is coming on board with some kind of carbon emission reducti0n (in fact not an absolute reduction, just a reduction in intensity) for COP 15… a great breakthrough or nothing new?
It is becoming difficult to keep up to date with the different targets, baselines and measures countries are using to set their own targets. In this instance China is using 2005 as a baseline measure for their carbon intensity reduction. This means that 15 years of emissions are not accounted for, compared to the Kyoto Protocol which uses 1990 as a baseline. Fair enough you might say, China is a developing nation but the important thing here is why move the figure? Why not calculate carbon plans using the same measures as everybody else? A 1990 baseline? The US climate and energy bill uses 2005 as a baseline with a 17% reduction target. With both China and the US talking in terms of 2005 now, the rest of the world seem a bit slow on the uptake sticking with 1990 levels. Did responsibility only start in 2005? Instead of focusing overly on the fact that some numbers are on the table, should we be thinking a bit more about how these numbers are constructed? If we have a situation where everybody puts numbers on the table but calculates them differently, then how can we compare across countries? Absolute reductions / intensity reductions / 1990 levels / 2005 levels… the mind boggles.
In response to the Chinese announcement, I’d say great start lets engage with China to build these proposals but lets not allow 2005 to become the default baseline. 1990 took years to negotiate, lets not abdicate our resonsibility for 15 years fo rapid growth.
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