China and Australia issued a joint declaration on closer cooperation in climate change on April 10th. Both countries reiterate the promises of United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change(UNFCCC) and Kyoto Protocol, emphasizing again that developed countries should still take the lead to cut greenhouse gases emission after 2012 and help developing countries enhance the ability of coping with climate change according to principle of "common but differentiated responsibilities" and respective abilities,as well as the Bali Roadmap.
    
    The declaration pointes out that China and Australia have a lot in common in climate change. The two sides realise that the timetable of Bali Roadmap should be accomplished by strengthening negotiation. They will cooperate with each other closely in the coming bilateral and multilateral forums to back up the negotiations under the UNFCCC.The partnership and cooperation of both countries will focus on the comparative advantages and common interests field to make contribution to the global effort of coping with the climate change. Both countries agree to strengthen the ministerial-level policy dialogue，develop and assist with the substantive projects of cooperation in climate change for mutual benefits. Based on the spirit of closer cooperation in climate change, the two sides reiterate the support of Sino-Australia clean coal technology coordination work teams.   

    The declaration also said that both countries consider the mitigation of destroying forests and emission a very important aspect of coping with climate change in future, they reiterate the support of the proposal raised by China in September,2007 in the APEC Sydney Session, which advised to build a network of Asia-Pacific forestry recovery and sustainable management.

    According to the joint declaration, the preliminary fields of cooperation between China and Australia are as follows:

    Firstly, holding closer policy dialogue. With joint efforts of China and Australia and other parties in the 13th Session of UNFCCC, the Bali Road Map of coping with future climate change was achieved. The two sides will continue to work together to promote the climate change negotiation and related international cooperation under the guidance of UNFCCC and Kyoto Protocol. Therefore, the two sides agree to hold ministerial-level meeting annually on the basis of existing climate change mechanisms, to strengthen the common policy dialogue,cooperation and coordination in climate change. The first ministerial-level meeting will be held by Australia in the second half of this year.

    Secondly, extending the Sino-Australia partnership. China and Australia have a successful bilateral partnership on climate change, the partnership involves resources and experts of industries,sciences and related governmental departments from both sides. The two sides reiterate the promise of the cooperation projects
reached, and both agree to extend substantive projects further, especially in the fields such as renewable energies, energy efficiency, methane recycling, agriculture and climate change, land use, land use change and forestry, climate change adaptation and climate change sciences,etc.  
    
    Thirdly, developing clean energies. China and Australia will work together to develop low emission technology to mitigate the greenhouse gases emission as much as possible while developing economies,  and to meet the increasing need of generating power with clean energy technology. Both countries welcome the cooperation in the fields of  Asia-Pacific Partnership on Clean Development and Climate, Sino-Australia clean coal technology coordination team, and bilateral climate change partnership. China welcomes the promise of investing 20 million Australian dollars in the Sino-Australia clean coal technology coordination team reiterated by Australia.  

By Guo Qihao

Editor: Xu Hui