As the Kyoto Protocol came into effect on February 16,
Vice?Minister Liu Jiang of the National Development and Reform
Commission (NDRC) stated that China will honor its commitments in
accordance with the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate
Change (UNFCCC) and the Kyoto Protocol, and will work together with
the international community to seek effective measures addressing
climate change.
Speaking at a related conference on Wednesday, Liu said that
China would observe the principle of common but differentiated
responsibilities for developed and developing countries, continuing
to work toward comprehensive, sustainable development while
improving energy efficiency, developing and applying new and
renewable energy sources and increasing forestation.
China signed the UNFCCC in 1992. In 1998 it signed the Kyoto
Protocol and ratified it in 2002.
In accordance with the rules of the UNFCCC, China is now
drafting its National Strategy on Coping with Climate Change, which
it expects to promulgate this year.
In preparation for the implementation of the Kyoto Protocol, the
government set up an examination council for the Clean Development
Mechanism and promulgated the Interim Measures for Operation and
Management of Clean Development Mechanism Projects. So far, two
projects have received official approval and a number of others are
at the preliminary preparation stage.
One of these projects -- a cooperative effort between China and
Italy -- was officially launched on Wednesday. With US$1.4 million
in funding from the Italian government over the next five years,
3,000 hectares of trees will be planted in Aohan Banner, in north
China's Inner
Mongolia Autonomous Region.
A total of 2,500 impoverished local farmers and forest workers,
particularly women, are expected to benefit directly from the
project through ecological education, afforestation and related
management and training.
The project is one of the most important cooperative ventures
between industrialized countries and developing nations under the
Kyoto Protocol.
(China.org.cn by Yuan Fang and Wind Gu, China Daily
February 17, 2005)