For the Chinese version, please check: 構建低碳城市 中國或可成為典范

Sitting in a gray steel chair and sipping his hot black tea on the terrace of the Moon Palace, London School of Economics professor Nicholas Stern seemed not to enjoy the silver beach or the shining blue water. The mild atmosphere of the UN climate talks in Cancun was unable to relax Stern.

London School of Economics professor Nicholas Stern [Wang Ke/China.org.cn]

"I feel a little bit disappointed with this summit for the current negotiation," he told China.org.cn. "We just have only one Earth. What I've seen here now is the back slide from last year's Copenhagen summit."

Stern, who led the 2006 groundbreaking report on climate-change economics for the British government, still has hope for China to become a leader in green lifestyles.

"I hope China will push the negotiation and make a big difference for its pledge to cut emissions and develop green energy in the coming years," Stern said.

12th Five-Year Plan to guide the way

China is serious about climate change as a threat to the world and itself, and it intends to capitalize on this inevitability with all its might. In October, the central authorities began to set the tone for the forthcoming 12th Five-Year Plan, due in March next year.

So far, there has been a plan to improve energy efficiency by 17 to 20 percent by 2015, an attempt to promote a clean revolution of China's economic development over the next decade.

"China's 12th Five-Year Plan outlines a bright and promising future," Stern said. "If the country goes on this way, it can be a unique model of urban low carbon."