Rochdale Euro-MP in China talks

Chris Davies MEP

Rochdale Euro-MP Chris Davies claims that a partnership between China and Europe could give a fresh start to the fight against global warming.

The Liberal Democrat environment spokesman in Brussels has just returned from meetings in Tianjin with members of the National Peoples’ Congress environment committee. 

China’s government used the occasion to announce that it would soon adopt its first ever Climate Change Act.

“After the failure of talks in Copenhagen last year this is a major step forward,” said Davies. 

“Until now China has refused to accept any limits on its headlong economic growth, but the new law will set mandatory requirements to reduce the rate at which its CO2 emissions are rising.”

The MEP, who represented the European Parliament at the GLOBE forum of legislators, contrasted the position of China with that of the USA where recent elections saw gains for climate change deniers.

He said: “China can see global warming already affecting their country.  Its government believes that climate change will hit China hard.

“International agreement is vital if we are to put in place the necessary measures to curb the scale of the problem.  A partnership between China and the European Union could help us achieve this goal.”

In a keynote speech the MEP told Chinese representatives that that the failure to set targets for curbing global warming had undermined the political will of many countries to take action.

He said: “The Copenhagen talks proved a huge disappointment and left the world drifting.

“China is still a developing country, but it is also the world’s largest emitter of CO2 and Europe wants it to step forward and provide leadership.”