Challenges and Reality: China's Dilemma on Durban Platform Negotiation

Abstract

At the 2011 Durban Conference, the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) adopted a series of decisions, including the second commitment period of the Kyoto Protocol and a new mandate for the Durban Platform. This outcome symbolized a significant milestone in the global climate negotiations. Behind this positive progress, divergences of parties on key issues such as the sources and scale of finance mechanisms, technology transfer, emission reduction targets and the legal form of the outcome have not been substantially resolved. In 2012, a complicated negotiation scenario was revealed, with three parallel negotiation tracks operating under two UNFCCC mandates. To minimize the deep divide between the North and South on main negotiation issues, key sticking points may be moved to the Durban Platform and negotiated under this new track.The Durban Platform as a new negotiation mandate has taken centerstage in the global community. Key negotiation issues such as the principle ofCommon but differentiated Responsibility, the issue of legal form and theframework, agenda, roadmap and timetable of the Durban Platform remain tobe addressed in future negotiations.China is willing to participate actively and constructively in the Durbanplatform negotiation, but the expectation that China will pledge moreaggressive emission reduction actions goes against the social and economicdevelopment trajectory of China, which is the dilemma of China about participation in climate negotiations. China as the factory of the worldis on the fast track of urbanization and industrialization. It shoulders theimperatives to alleviate poverty and narrow the domestic regional gap. Itscoal-based resource endowment and inefficient technologies provoke challengesto the curbing of emissions. Decoupling of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissionswith social economic development is a conundrum not just for China but alsothe world.Despite these challenges, China agreed the adoption of the DurbanMandate to initiate negotiations for the post-2020 international climate regime.This regime must be built on the basis of mutual respect and equity inaccordance with respective responsibility and take full account of the rightto development of developing countries and their financial and technologyconstraints in fighting climate change. Unrealistic emission reduction targetsand unfair burden-sharing mechanisms for developing countries will neitherfacilitate the negotiation nor contribute to international cooperation in addressingclimate change.