Enhancing global climate governance

The 2015 agreement should serve as a protocol, legal instrument, or outcome with legal force under the convention, and apply to all the parties with a view to providing incentives and guidance to parties to enhance their ambition to implement the commitment based on principles and provisions of the convention, especially the principle of Common but Differentiated Responsibility. This implies that developed countries should implement their commitments in Article 4 of the convention by taking the lead and reducing their own emissions as a demonstration to the rest of the world. They should also make an effort to innovate their development path with the focus on low carbon consumption, especially in sectors such as construction and transportation, and provide adequate technological and financial resources to developing countries to assist them to shift their development onto a low carbon path.

Common but Differentiated Responsibility does not imply that developing countries should do nothing, rather, they should pursue innovation of their development paths by introducing low carbon strategies, plans, and policies into their development.

To some degree, the extent to which developing countries' concerns are addressed will determine the success of the 2015 agreement.

China is the world's biggest emitter of greenhouse gases, thanks to its large population, the world's largest, and because it serves as the manufacturing center for the world, with a coal-dominated, and thus carbon-intensive, energy mix, although the per capita emissions in China are still significantly lower than that in most of developed countries. This means China is faced with more and more stringent constraints on its natural resources and environment quality as it continues to develop. The need for more environmentally friendly and efficient economic growth is therefore of increasing concern to China, and it can also benefit from the mitigation of climate change, in terms of job opportunities, energy security, avoided or lessened costs stemming from natural disasters. In addition, policies and measures to respond to climate change might also serve as levers to restructure and upgrade the Chinese economy.

In this sense, it is in China's own interests to take responsibility for addressing climate change, rather than meeting others' requirements.

However it has to defend itself in upcoming carbon releases and insist on the right to development because at least 100 million people on its land are still struggling for food and clothing and the rest are yet to lead a decent life and become well-off. More cooperation in multiparty and bilateral schemes with other countries can earn better understanding for its development needs.

Having said this, China will assume responsibility appropriate to its corresponding stage of development and capacity as the parties seek an equitable, effective, and win-win agreement in 2015 in Paris.

The author is a professor with the Beijing-based National Center for Climate Change Strategy and International Cooperation.