UK energy sec warns West not to demonise new Asia economies on climate change
On the eve of the G8 energy ministers meeting in Japan, UK Energy Secretary John Hutton warned the West not to demonise China on environmental standards. Speaking to business leaders in Hong Kong on the second leg of a trade promotion trip that included visits to Hanoi (Vietnam) and Shenzhen (China), Hutton emphasized the importance of working constructively with the Governments of China, India and South Korea to resolve the issue of climate change.
John Hutton said “How we secure cheap, reliable, clean energy will be centre stage of this G8 meeting. And, as the world tries to negotiate a post-Kyoto deal on climate change, we must strongly resist the temptation to demonise the new Asia economies.”
He also said that “those who think the answer to dealing with the challenges of climate change is to tell the people of China or India to sacrifice the sort of living standards that we have enjoyed for so long are deeply misguided. It is the right of every person and every nation to strive for a better way of life.
“Climate change is a global problem and there can be no gain in alienating the world’s developing economies as we fight to tackle it. We must work together to have a real impact and develop the low carbon technologies of the future that will bring benefits to all our economies and to the planet.
“We in the West must shoulder the burden of tackling climate change in equal measure to the benefit we derived from the industrial revolution over the past 150 years. That is why at this week’s G8 the UK will encourage all members to invest in and develop cleaner forms of energy production.
“We do not need to lecture on the importance of protecting the environment. The political and business leaders I have met in Hong Kong and Shenzhen this week are all too aware of the impacts of pollution on their cities and I have been impressed by the real action they are already taking in response.”
The G8 energy ministers’ meeting will, for the first time, involve the nations of China, India and South Korea. The discussions will focus on the rising cost of energy, carbon capture and storage and energy efficiency.
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