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Welcome to 'real world' of climate change

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There is no rich-poor divide in emissions obligations, according to one wealthy country responsible for huge greenhouse gases emissions that has yet to sign on to make binding cuts.

As usual, the United States has challenged the principle of "common but differentiated responsibilities" at climate change talks in Doha, Qatar, saying that the future agreement on coping with climate change should be based on "real-world" considerations and it should not specify different responsibilities for rich and poor countries.

But this really depends on what kind of real world the U.S. is living in.

For 1.3 billion Chinese, the world is made up of developing and developed countries in which people live very different lifestyles and are capable of doing different things.

There may have been a rapid increase in China's greenhouse gas emissions in the past few years, but not due to luxury. In Beijing, a large number of city buses still do not have heat or air conditioning systems even in very cold or hot weather.

The country exports a large number of low-end products to clients abroad so those clients can live in comfort -- and these exports are the main source of China's emissions.

Chinese people also deserve to live comfortably. One can not criticize an urban Chinese family for dreaming of a modest apartment, home appliances and maybe a car, nor should a number of needy families in the remote and barren countryside be censured simply because they want an electric pump to supply them with clean drinking water.

Between developed and developing nations, there is a world of difference. That's why equality can only be realized when different players bear obligations in line with their capacities.

In fact, China has made great domestic efforts to curb emissions growth. It has made a commitment to cut its carbon intensity, the amount of carbon dioxide emitted per unit of GDP, by 40 to 45 percent from the 2005 level by 2020.

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