China plays an important role of representing the interests of developing countries in the current climate change negotiations through the mechanism of 77+China. As the most important emitter in developing countries it is facing an enormous challenge to fulfill its international obligations to reduce its CO2 emissions, while at the same time address its domestic responsibilities to meet the human development needs of hundreds of millions of its people that are still living in poverty.
As the “world’s factory”, it has taken up and still taking the carbon emission of other countries. It is estimated that between seven to fourteen percent of carbon emission in China is actually from producing products for American consumers. Almost every cheap articles – clothes, shoes, appliances, computers, etc. that we, from the rest of the world, also buy are from China. The climate change negotiations and the current financial crisis pushed China to the center stage of world diplomacy.
Climate change and China: Technology, Market and Beyond