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Brown tackles climate change in China

British Prime Minister Gordon Brown's visit to China switched to environmental issues yesterday, as he sought to boost cooperation between the two nations on tackling climate change, senior Downing Street officials said.

Brown, whose focus on Friday was on furthering business links with the world's fastest-growing economy, was looking to secure backing for a new global deal on fighting greenhouse gas emissions for when the Kyoto Protocol expires in 2012.

How Britain can help China continue its rapid, but mainly coal-fueled growth more sustainably would feature heavily as he left Beijing for the financial hub of Shanghai.

"Climate change is a global challenge facing all regions of the world -- and one in which there can be no solution without engagement from all countries and collaboration between nations," officials traveling with Brown said in a statement.

"It is an urgent, complex issue that demands a comprehensive global and national response. China is as committed as Britain to achieving this," they said..

"Only by acting now and working together to cut global greenhouse gas emissions can we leave the world a healthier and safer place for future generations," they said. "Neither the UK nor China has any choice but to meet this challenge."

Ahead of his departure for Shanghai, Brown yesterday toured Beijing's new Olympic stadium -- a first for a foreign dignitary -- and which a British firm helped design for the upcoming games.

"I am flattered that British design has been involved in this and I congratulate everybody who has been responsible for this," he told reporters.

On a post-Kyoto accord, the London officials said both nations need to intensify their efforts to secure a deal, although negotiations could be fraught because of tensions between developed and developing nations on binding targets.

Britain wants emissions cut targets for developed nations and greater technological and financial support for developing countries in return for stronger commitments from them to reduce greenhouse gases.

China -- on course to becoming the world's largest emitter of greenhouse gases -- opposes signing up to internationally agreed reductions and is instead pushing for more help from richer nations in creating "green" energy.

On Friday the two sides penned agreements to increase collaboration to reduce emissions growth and develop newer, cleaner technologies -- - a sign they realize economic opportunities are arising from the global problem.

Brown also has a delegation of senior British business figures in tow.

One deal on climate change will see China get at least US$100 million from British government funds to back investment in energy efficiency, renewables, clean coal and carbon capture and storage.

Another on sustainable cities pledges Sino-British collaboration on building the low-carbon cities of the future. Brown will see at first hand efforts to construct the world's first sustainable city at Dongtan, near Shanghai.

The project is a joint venture between the bank HSBC and British design and engineering firm, Arup, which in part also designed Beijing's Olympic stadium.

Brown has outlined plans to build five new "eco-towns" on disused industrial land to replenish Britain's depleted housing stock and encourage low and eventually zero-carbon communities.
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