Davies pushes China on climate change

Chris Davies MEP

Rochdale Euro-MP Chris Davies has called on top Chinese officials to take a global lead in fighting climate change.

He says that all sides need to recognise the new world order now that China emits twice as much CO2 as the whole of Europe, with volumes increasing 10 per cent each year.

The Liberal Democrat, who is drafting the European Parliament's proposals for a future low carbon economy, met in London with Chinese minister Xie Zhenhua and Su Wei, the country's chief climate change negotiator.

Afterwards Davies expressed his fear that Europe risked being left behind by China as the huge country turns to the development of 'green' products.

He said: "The pace of economic change in China is awesome and a little frightening.

"Chinese officials argue that Britain and Europe must lead on global warming reductions because we were the first to industrialise.

"But I told them that without leadership from what is now the world's largest emitter of CO2 the problem can never be resolved."