Copenhagen (AsiaNews/Agencies) – Population controls can save the environment and the international community should adopt China’s one-child policy with that objective in mind, Chinese government sources said. The head of China’s delegation to the UN Conference on Climate in Danish capital urged US President Barack Obama to cut greenhouse gases. European leaders pulled an all-nighter to reach a deal on helping developing countries fight global warming. The € 6 billion (US$ 9 billion) aid package would be spread over three years.
China defended its family planning policy as a way to reduce global warming. According to Beijing, its one-child and birth control policies, which include forced abortions and sterilisations on unwilling women, are part of its global strategy to fight climate problems and should be adopted by the international community.
In spite of the gross violation of human rights, the strategy has been a “great success” according to Chinese authorities. “I'm not saying that what we have done is 100 per cent right, but I'm sure we are going in the right direction," said Zhao Baige, vice-minister of National Population and Family Planning Commission of China.
China's top climate envoy Xie Zhenhua called on US President Barack Obama to increase a U.S. offer to cut greenhouse gases. He said China would discuss a 2050 emissions goal only if rich nations offered more cash and carbon cuts, adding that emissions cuts should be “at least 40 per cent” over 1990 levels by 2020.
A successful outcome for the summit largely depends on agreement between the United States and China, which together generate 40 per cent of global carbon emissions.
The Chinese delegate said that poor or developing countries must be guaranteed "sufficient, additional and sustainable" financial and technology.
In the meantime, the European Union said it was ready to allocate € 6 billion (US$ 8.8 billion) to developing countries to promote clean energy technologies.
Meeting in Brussels, the 27 assembled heads of state and government hammered out a deal, but doubts remain over the capacity of the Union’s eastern members to provide funds.
In a joint press conference, British Prime Minister Gordon Brown and French President Nicolas Sarkozy pledged € 1.7 billion (US$ 2.5 billion) in fast start money.
In the morning, participants reached an agreement on a first official draft, which would set the ceiling for higher temperatures at 1.5-2 degrees Celsius. This would be the starting point for further negotiations in the coming days, which would include all world leaders.
