"If not me, then who? If not now, then when? If not here, then where?" This was the recent call to action by leading Chinese climate negotiator Su Wei, posted on WeChat, a popular social networking media app.

Su is the deputy chief of the Chinese delegation to the 19th Conference of the Parties of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change and Director General of the Department of Climate Change at the National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC). This conference ran from November 11-22, 2013, in Warsaw, Poland.

The conclusion that human activity is responsible for climate change has been further strengthened in the Fifth Assessment Report of the United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. The global impact of climate change has become increasingly prominent, posing perhaps the most severe environmental challenge to the planet.

Though the international community has reached an overwhelming consensus that a warming planet will bring more natural disasters, debates over whether and how mankind should take action have never ceased.

At the 2013 conference, Japan said it plans to scale back its emission targets citing the aftermath of the 2011 earthquake and tsunami, which forced it to close 50 of its nuclear power plants. Australia, however, as a long-time dissenter in climate talks, is reportedly set to repeal the carbon tax and dismantle all climate institutions and initiatives.

Su said he was disappointed beyond words when the two countries made their announcements, crying out for countries to unite and work together for the sake of the environment.

Key agenda

Asking developed countries to honor their commitments to provide capital assistance and offer environmentally friendly technology transfer to developing countries remained a major point of dispute during the conference.

"Finance is key to the success of the Warsaw conference," agreed high-level officials of BASIC (China, Brazil, South Africa, and India) at a seminar held at the China Pavilion in Warsaw on November 20, 2013.

They urged developed countries to follow through with their obligations to provide $100 billion each year to developing countries in order to help fund their efforts to cope with issues related to climate change for the period from 2013 to 2020 in a measurable and verifiable manner.

Developed countries, while taking a moral high road in their climate rhetoric, are reluctant to provide assistance. The recent financial crisis has further hardened their resistance over the issue, warned Chinese experts.

Tod Stern, special envoy for climate change for the U.S. Government, said in terms of providing funding for developing countries, the United States would like to invite the private sector to join the initiatives. "It could be a loan, could be a loan guarantee, it could be risk insurance," said Stern in a press conference held in Washington, D.C. on November 9.

As a response, Xie Zhenhua, head of the Chinese delegation at the 2013 UN climate conference, insisted the funding come from the governments, or the public sector, instead of the private sector.

China in action

"Honestly, China is the biggest producer of greenhouse gases," admitted Xie. "There is no need to deny it."

China is deeply concerned about excess carbon emissions and climate change not because of external forces but because of its inner desire to create a clean and healthy environment, Xie said.

The toxic air and polluted water pose a major threat to people's health. The worst smog episodes ever witnessed in many parts of China serve as a wake-up call for Chinese citizens and officials.

In a top-level decision made at the Third Plenary Session of the 18th Central Committee of Communist Party of China, which closed on November 12, 2013, China vowed to keep a close eye on environmental protection matters and will make legislative efforts to monitor and control air, land and water pollution.

"I heard about the mention that carbon trading is a priority, and as a U.S. citizen I can only dream that our national government would make such a statement in one of our policy platforms," said Derek Walker, Associate President with Environmental Defense Fund. He urged the U.S. federal government to work proactively and aggressively on climate change policies that will make a difference in people's lives.

Though China is now the second largest economy in the world, the average wealth of its 1.3 billion population fails to match its prominent international status. In 2012, China's per-capita GDP was registered at $6,000, ranking 87th in the world, behind some African countries such as Gabon, Mauritius and South Africa. The current challenges facing China include the task of developing its economy, eradicating poverty and improving people's lives while actively confronting the threats brought about by climate change.

"We have nowhere to go if we don't tackle the problems of climate change," said Xie.

To promote the concept of carbon reduction and raise citizens' awareness of climate change, China has initiated five pilot carbon trade centers across the country by the end of 2013. They are places where companies with fewer carbon emissions can sell their excess pollution quota to heavily polluting companies.

Matthew Rodriquez, California Secretary for Environmental Protection, said he is impressed by the Chinese Government's efficiency in launching carbon trade systems. "While it takes California six years to get started, it's taking China six months to get started. That's a remarkable achievement."

China pledged to cut carbon emissions by 40-45 percent in 2020 compared with that of 2005, and the proportion of non-fossil fuels will account for 15 percent of all energy used in the country. Xie said the target is ambitious because the development of hydropower and nuclear energy has been stalled in China. But he reassured that China will employ all measures to guarantee these goals.

Key decisions adopted in Warsaw include advancing the Durban Platform, the Green Climate Fund and Long- Term Finance, and the Warsaw International Mechanism for Loss and Damage.

Climate Change in My View

Jean Claude Nduwayo, Minister of the Environment and Water of Burundi

Burundi is one of the least developed countries in the world, still relying heavily on agriculture in its development. The productivity of that agriculture, like all agriculture, depends on rainfall, water supply, and favorable weather. As the world's food security is increasingly threatened, we also face the challenge of constant reduction of agricultural production. The challenge further worsens as we lack measures to effectively cope with climate change. We are in urgent need of support in agricultural production, industry and clean energy. Facing these difficulties, the Burundian Government works hard to deal with the challenges brought by climate change.

In addition to the opportunities discussed at the Warsaw conference, we also hope to express our thanks to our development partners who have helped us in our development process.

Burundi and China have cooperation in many fields, and our cooperation has improved people's well-being and built up our capacity in preventing natural disasters. China has built many roads, bridges, hospitals and schools for Burundi. In water resource utilization, we have established many projects and have made progress in many related areas. Our public institutions received energy-saving products such as energy-saving air conditioners donated by the Chinese Government that can improve the energy efficiency of our domestic construction.

We hope to get more support from China so that we can adapt to and ease the challenges brought by climate change. These supports include developing clean energy, establishing development mechanisms and forming the ability to cope with climate changes by improving technology and strengthening knowledge transfer. Through these methods, Burundi can improve its capacity in dealing with the challenges brought by climate change.

Burundi boasts excellent and abundant resources. We hope our international partners consider Burundi for investment. We have abundant water resources, for instance, and hope our partners could help us further utilize these resources. Meanwhile, we have a large agricultural population and can create a sound investment environment for investors.