The Chinese delegation vowed to put pre-2020 actions on the formal negotiating agenda of climate talks to put further pressure on developed countries to deliver on carbon reduction promises.
Senior representatives with the Chinese delegation said there is an urgent need to put the agenda on the table, as a lack of concrete actions before 2020 from developed nations may dent global confidence to further implement the Paris Agreement, as two-week climate talks from Nov 7 to 17 have come half way through.
"There are only two years to 2020 so we don't have the luxury of time," said Chinese negotiator Chen Zhihua. "Clearly the gaps are there. If they are not being filled, the gaps will ultimately transfer to the post-2020 period."
Unlike the Paris Agreement sealed in 2015, where about 200 signatories set clear targets to combat climate change starting from 2020, the onus is on developed nations in the pre-2020 Actions, in which it requires developed countries to take on quantified targets to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
Signatories of the Paris Agreement around the world are striving to draft a rulebook for implementing the Paris pact in Bonn, which is expected to be finalize at next year's climate conference.
"We're not asking for unrealistic commitment from developed countries. We simply want developed nations to fulfill pledges have already been made," said Gu Zihua, a senior Chinese negotiator.
"Pre-2020 is really a trust-building issue for developing countries," he said on the sidelines of negotiations, "If they turn down all proposals, then how could developing countries be trusted for future discussions?"
