China pins high hopes on reaching global climate deal in 2015

UNITED NATIONS - China pins high hopes on a new global climate change pact to be reached late next year, said China's chief climate negotiator Xie Zhenhua Tuesday.

Xie made the remarks on the sidelines of the UN Climate Summit, a one-day meeting aimed at building momentum for the new global accord to be signed next year in Paris of France.

"China will play an active and constructive role in promoting the multilateral process," said Xie, also vice-chairman of the National Development and Reform Commission.

While noting that China stays well on track to fulfilling its pledge to cut carbon intensity by 40 percent to 45 percent by 2020 from the 2005 level, Xie said carbon intensity in China was down by 28.5 percent last year. "That was equivalent to a reduction of 2.5 billion tons of CO2 emissions."

However, the senior Chinese official noted that there will be no let-up in Beijing's efforts to fight climate change beyond the year of 2020, adding that China endeavors to unveil its post-2020 action plan on climate change in the first quarter of 2015.

The action plan will bring about notable progress in reducing carbon intensity, increasing the share of non-fossil fuel and raising the forest stock, as well as the peak of its total carbon dioxide emissions as soon as possible, according to Xie.

On the fight against climate change, Xi pointed out that each country should make its own contributions commensurate with its national conditions, stage of development and actual capability.

The UN Climate Summit opened here Tuesday, with an appeal from UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon for global action to address climate change.

Tuesday's summit, which were attended by more than 120 heads of state and government, is not a formal part of the UN climate negotiations, but it is expected to set the stage for a crucial conference slated for December 2015 in Paris, with the mission of finalizing a new global climate change pact.