China slams Dutch report on carbon dioxide emissions "groundless"

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Source: CCTV.com | 06-22-2007 14:38

As a developing country with a sense of responsibility, China will work side by side with other nations to fight against climate change. Foreign Ministry Spokesman Qin Gang made the remarks at a regular news conference on Thursday. He also dismissed as groundless a report from a Dutch agency that calls China the world's top carbon dioxide emitter.

The Dutch Environmental Assessment Agency says China has overtaken the United States as the top emitter of carbon dioxide. The conclusion is based on shaky logic: fast economy, therefore high energy consumption, therefore large CO2 emission.

Jos Olivier, senior policy researcher Netherlands Environ. Assessment Agency, said, "And then when we look at which countries are the largest coal consumers, then China is one of the largest ones. This is a very particular aspect of a country like China, apart from the rapid development it's also using a lot of coal. And coal compared to gas and to oil products produces somewhat more CO2 per unit of energy as well."

Foreign Ministry Spokesman Qin Gang has called the report groundless. Instead of pointing their fingers, Qin said, Western countries should try to gain a better understanding of China and its position.

Qin Gang said, "We hope they can understand China's economic position and its policies. That way everyone can shoulder their own responsibilities. This doesn't mean China is trying to avoid the issue. On the contrary, we will deal with it actively and responsibly."

Likewise, Greenpeace is also calling the Dutch report unfair. Responsibility for the environment, the organization says, should be a shared one.

Li Yan, greenpeace China, said, "All the West countries have been exporting their carbon footprint to China and making China the world's factory. This has kept the price of projects in Western countries quite low, but in the long term it leads to dangerous climate disaster in the future,"

Meanwhile, government officials in China have promised to do everything possible to curb greenhouse gas emissions. This is especially important as the country enters the final countdown to the 2008 Games, since a green Olympics has always been one of its aims.

Editor:Du Xiaodan