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China Hails Climate Change Agreement

   China  has  applauded  the  outcome of the UN climate change summit in
   Copenhagen,  despite  the  absence  of  any  clear  deals on emissions
   targets.

   VOA News 20 December 2009
   General view of the plenary session at the Bella Center in Copenhagen,
   19 Dec 2009 on the 13th day of the COP15 UN Climate Change Conference

Photo: AFP

   General view of the plenary session at the Bella Center in Copenhagen,
   19 Dec 2009 on the 13th day of the COP15 UN Climate Change Conference

   Foreign  Minister  Yang  Jiechi  says  the  accord was a positive step
   forward in recognizing different responsibilities between emerging and
   rich nations.
   The   Copenhagen   accord   was   approved   Saturday  after  marathon
   negotiations  by  the  United  States,  China, India, Brazil and South
   Africa.
   The  accord  says  greenhouse gases and other emissions by all nations
   must  be  reduced  enough to prevent average global temperatures - the
   key  index  of  global  warming  -  from  rising more than two degrees
   Celsius.   However,  it does not set specific emissions guidelines for
   achieving that goal.
   China  and  the  United States are the world's biggest contributors to
   global  warming.   U.S.  President  Barack  Obama  called the accord a
   "breakthrough"  in  attempts to control global warming, but he said it
   still "not enough."
   Environmentalists  and  less-developed nations criticized parts of the
   Copenhagen accord and gave it only weak support.
   U.N.  Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon acknowledged that a lot of work is
   yet  to be done.  But he hailed the compromise effort, saying it was a
   significant  step  forward  in negotiations for the first truly global
   agreement on dealing with climate change.
   The  Copenhagen  accord  also  commits  rich nations to contribute $30
   billion to a fund to help developing nations curb their emissions over
   the  next  three years.  They also set a goal of increasing funding up
   to $100 billion by 2020.

   Some information for this report was provided by AP, AFP and Reuters.

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