The world's 20 richest and most emerging economies, including, vowed on Friday to "spare no effort" at upcoming climate change talks in Mexico, a year after Beijing blocked a deal in Copenhagen.
"We will spare no effort to achieve a balanced outcome and success at COP16 in Cancun," the Group of 20 said in a statement issued at the end of two days of talks in Seoul.
The pledge came less than three weeks before 194 countries meet in the Mexican resort of Cancun for a second attempt at a deal to reduce greenhouse gases after 2012, when the current agreement expires.
The climate meeting will take place in the persistent shadow of the Copenhagen summit last December, which ended in near failure, due in large part, critics say, to China's reluctance to accept binding commitments.
"Addressing the threat of global climate change is an urgent priority for all nations," the G20 statement said.
"We reiterate our commitment to take strong, action-oriented action and remain fully dedicated to the United Nations climate change negotiations."
Despite the promise in Friday's statement, China has consistently expressed its reluctance to take the lead in reducing greenhouse gases, saying it is not to blame for the current situation our planet is going through.
"Developed countries have their historical responsibility for climate change," Sun Zhen, a Chinese climate change official, said earlier this month in Hong Kong. "There is no reason not to address this concern."
China and the United States clashed at a U.N. climate meeting last month in the Chinese city of Tianjin, accusing each other of blocking progress ahead of the Cancun summit.
The United States wants China, the world's largest source of greenhouse gases that cause climate change, to commit to curbing carbon emissions and developing countries to accept greater control over their climate claims.
China has rejected the push for foreign verification, saying it was a U.S. attempt to divert attention from the fact that the U.S. has so far managed to get cutting-off emissions legislation in Congress.
As the prospect of a pioneering agreement in Cancun has dimmed, efforts have shifted toward more modest and gradual steps.
This has led to a focus on smaller targets – offers of deforestation, advancement in financing and technology transfer – which was echoed in the G20 statement.
"We are all committed to achieving a successful and balanced outcome that includes the core issues of mitigation, transparency, finance, technology, forest adaptation and conservation," the statement said.
G20 members pledged to support sustainable development, which allows countries to "skip old technologies in many sectors."
"We are committed to supporting green policies led by growth countries that promote sustainable global environmental growth and job creation while ensuring access to energy for the poor," he said.
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Authors: Val
