Experts mull green challenge

By Li Xing

Participants on Thursday listen to Cheng Tao from China elaborate on China's actions in green development during the 2010 MEDays, a three-day forum for co-development, held in Tangier of Morocco. [Photo/China Daily]
Forum hears calls for joint global action on environment

TANGIER, Morocco - Concrete action along with setting realistic goals and the rethinking of shared but differentiated responsibilities are ways to push forward progress in the coming climate change negotiations in Cancun, Mexico, experts said.

"The energy revolution is a key issue for the world's security as well as for employment," Rajendra Kumar Pachauri, chair of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, said on Thursday at the plenary session on climate challenges, energy revolution and sustainable development at 2010 MEDays in Morocco's northern coastal city.

Climate change is one of the focal issues of the three-day forum, which opened on Thursday, organized by Moroccan think tank Institute Amadeus.

The event, which was launched in 2008, has become a platform for government officials, scholars, journalists and development experts from around the world to engage in brainstorming sessions on development.

There are still 1.6 billion people with little access to energy in the world, Pachauri said, but the sheer number also provides opportunities for entrepreneurs to apply solar and other renewable energies.

However, multinationals dictated to developed countries when they were devising their policies, he said.

As a result, the proposed renewable technologies from developed countries are very costly for developing countries to adopt.

"I certainly commend China for what it has done in its actions to improve energy efficiency and fight greenhouse gas effects," Pachauri said in response to a question asking him to comment on China, one of the biggest greenhouse gas emitters in the world.

He also noted China's promise to cut the intensity of its greenhouse gas emissions during the Copenhagen Climate Summit.