From China Dialogue:
Desertification may have local solutions, but reducing the consequences of climate change in Africa entails international action on carbon emissions. It means countries must show greater commitment to the Kyoto Protocol and its provisions – including in the post-Kyoto era. With US reluctance to commit to the Kyoto Protocol, Africa now expects China, as the next biggest carbon emitter, to push for greater global commitment to reducing greenhouse-gas emissions.
It is in China’s interests to help mitigate the effects of climate change, both internationally and domestically. It is also in the interests of Africa, its major economic partner, that it does so. Observers believe that a significant change could occur if China makes stronger commitment to reducing its greenhouse-gas emissions. As post-Kyoto negotiations evolve, many feel that China will have to consider commitments to reducing its emissions after 2012.
China’s increasing involvement in extractive industries in many parts of Africa is likely to increase the continent’s emissions. Africa has a new message for China: that they should lend a voice to Africa’s call for more CDM involvement on the continent. [Full Text]
