Beijing acts on climate change, and all many can do is complain

While the world has begun to beat the drum on reaching a new decisive deal in Paris at the end of next year to curb carbon emissions between 2020 and 2030, there is a lot to suggest that the European Union and the United States have also started to wrestle for global leadership in climate governance.

But the West seems to remain unwilling to accept that Beijing has shown strong leadership on the issue, particularly in its strenuous efforts to get the big carbon emitters on board.

That is the conclusion you might draw going by the reactions shortly after China and the US reached a deal on climate change on Nov 12 when US President Barack Obama was in Beijing.

The highlight of the deal was that the US committed to emit 26 percent to 28 percent less carbon in 2025 than it did in 2005. And Beijing promised to let its carbon emissions peak around 2030 while making renewable sources account for 20 percent of its energy mix in 2030.

When the deal was signed, the people of Europe were still deep in slumber. But just a few hours after they woke up, Brussels put out a message welcoming the document but attributed its unveiling to its plans on climate change and energy unveiled at the EU summit last month.

The 28 EU member countries have agreed to cut 40 percent of their carbon emissions by 2030 from their 1990 base.

And after another several hours passed, Americans started to react on what happened in Beijing. One of the self-satisfied reactions emanating from the din of party politics in Washington was that the US had shown strong leadership in making China do something about reining in its carbon emissions.

One of those offering such a view was John Podesta, the White House counsel who oversees climate change and energy policy and who was not shy about emphasizing what he saw as his country's role in the latest developments. It was "because of US leadership" that China was making progress in climate efforts, he said.

To some extent, this competition over global leadership will be very positive if the West is ready to walk the talk in global climate efforts.

Real global climate leadership has at least three elements:

First, governments should take concrete action in reducing carbon emissions themselves instead of just pressing others to do so or setting preconditions for their own climate actions.

Second, they should step up efforts to provide financial and technical help to mitigate the effects of climate change in poor and vulnerable countries. Such help has been sparse, and indeed many developing countries have been the "beneficiaries" of donations consisting of outdated environmentally friendly products or technologies.

Third, they should speed up clean-tech product transfers to developing countries and remove green barriers. But protectionism is still severe in many developed economies.

In comparison, China has successfully reinforced policies of improving energy efficiency for the past decade, and has offered tremendous green help for other developing countries under the South-South cooperation framework. It also has exported solar panels, hydro power technology and even electric vehicles.

But it is hard for many Western countries to rise to the challenge and assume a proper leadership role on climate change. For many, the lack of a global deal suits their domestic political agendas. So supposedly on the grounds of fair competition or security, they are prone to slam the door on imports or refuse to export green high-tech products. At the same time they pile the pressure on China to do more on climate change.

In fact, a day before China and the US sealed their deal, I challenged Jo Leinen, new chairman of EU-China relations of the European Parliament, trying to find out what he thought the prospects were for the conference in Paris next year.

His conclusion was very simple: All countries need to do more. The EU says its target of cutting its carbon emissions by 2030 by 40 percent from their 1990 base leads the world, but Leinen disagrees and says it should do more.

As for China, his general view is that it has become outspoken in global climate talks because of the climate-friendly actions it is taking.

Asked about the proposal at the time that 2030 would be China's peak year for carbon emissions, he said the date needs to be brought forward. Brussels wants 2020 as China's peak year, he said, and a compromise between 2020 and 2030 could be the answer.

Leinen even said there has been speculation that 2025 is a bargaining chip when China and the EU hold climate talks. If Beijing accepts a peak in 2025, Brussels has room to increase its carbon reduction target of 40 percent by 2030.

Of course, if China finally identifies 2025 as its peak year in the talks before the Paris summit, the EU will label it as a big success in showing leadership.

It is risky to count on China to do so. The West should have known China's negotiating tactics after earlier talks, particularly in Copenhagen five years ago. China is simple and straightforward: it will concentrate on its own target no matter what others commit to.

Beijing has told the world what it will do by 2030 in its deal with Washington. And it will not change even if Brussels can commit more.

The author is China Daily chief correspondent in Brussels. Contact the writer at fujing@chinadaily.com.cn

(China Daily European Weekly 11/21/2014 page13)