China-EU_Relations_Reassessing_the_China-EU_Comprehensive_Strategic_Partnership

(John Hannent) #1

Forum, the Asia-Pacific Partnership on Clean Development and Climate, the Major
Economies Meeting on Energy Security and Climate Change, etc.; the USA also
attempted to replace the multilateral climate governance mechanism under the
United Nations framework. The EU resolutely opposed this move taken by the
USA. The Chinese representative said during the Major Economies Meeting on
Energy Security and Climate Change in 2007 that all discussions in the interna-
tional community with respect to greenhouse gas emission reduction should be
conducted under the frameworks of theUnited Nations Framework Convention on
Climate Changeand theKyoto Protocol, suggesting that China would not accept
binding emission reduction obligations within the framework proposed by the USA.
The EU supported the stands of developing countries, including China.^26


9.3.3.2 Bali Roadmap


After theKyoto Protocolcame into force, the EU advocated emission reduction
negotiations among countries at the“post-Kyoto”stage. Both China and the EU
held that developed countries, including the USA, should continue undertaking
quantified emission reduction obligations after 2012. The USA still opposed
“post-Kyoto”emission reduction targets set for the USA without the participation
of developing countries. During the Bali Climate Conference in late 2007, the EU
and developing countries required the USA to return to the United Nations nego-
tiation system and make commitments about comparable post-2012 emission
reduction targets. The USA still used the emission reduction made by the devel-
oping countries as a shield and only presented a domestic mitigation plan not
recognized by the outside world. In response to the United States’ attitude,
developing countries required the USA to assume responsibility or leave the
meeting so that the USA was fully isolated at the meeting.^27 With joint efforts from
the EU and developing countries and a compromise with the USA made by
developing countries on the“measureable, reportable and verifiable”issue, theBali
Action Planwasfinally concluded. Although no specific emission reduction targets
were specified, theBali Action Planestablished a dual-track negotiation mode
under the Convention and the Protocol and brought the USA back to the United
Nations negotiation system.


9.3.3.3 The Copenhagen Climate Conference


This Conference was a case in which China-EU cooperation was unsuccessful.
Although China and the EU held extensive and intensive communications and


(^26) Yan ( 2012 , p. 168).
(^27) Pew Center on Global Climate Change Summary of COP13,http://www.c2es.org/docUploads/
Pew%20Center_COP%2013%20Summary.pdf, accessed on March 8, 2013.
180 F. Cong

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