Partnering with China and India to Curb Climate Change

Amidst the current climate change negotiations in Bali, Anders Wijkman, in his essay in The Globalist, laments the roadblocks to substantive progress thus far and suggests a new type of partnership inclusive of China and India. While tensions between the European Union and the Bush administration have complicated negotiations over the last few years, the seemingly irreconcilable positions of President Bush and the emerging powers (China and India) have added a new wrinkle to the mix. The Bush administration has said that it will sign an international agreement on climate change only if China and India are held to the same standard regarding emissions reductions. Yet, these two giants are reluctant to make such an agreement, due both to their tremendous economic successes and the fact that 80% of cumulative emissions can be attributed to the industrialized world. Nonetheless, they acknowledge the consequences of polluting as they are now: more frequent extreme weather events, declines in food production, and far-reaching public health problems.

As Wijkman sees it, our only solution is to engage in a broad partnership with China and India, based on equity and a recognition of the industrialized countries’ historic responsibility for climate change. This Climate and Energy Partnership would help “facilitate the transition to a low-carbon economy . . . and help ‘climate-proof’ development.” Such an approach would include:

• Co-financing of energy investments
• Increased access to clean technology
• Support for capacity-building toward energy efficiency and low-carbon technology
• Increased funding for adaptation and risk reduction

This type of wholesale change, rather than incremental progress, is the key to effectively combating climate change, and Wijkman believes that if the U.S. is unwilling to purse this option, the EU should take the lead. To learn more about the United Nations Climate Change Conference in Bali, click here.