Reinterpretations of the “Common and Differentiated Responsibilities” Principle and the Predicaments in Its Implementation: An Analysis Based on the Role of Chinese Environmental NGOs
International Social Science Journal (Chinese Edition)
No.2, 2013
Reinterpretations of the “Common and Differentiated Responsibilities” Principle and the Predicaments in Its Implementation: An Analysis Based on the Role of Chinese Environmental NGOs
(Abstract)
Huan Qingzhi
The governments’ positions in the negotiations over environmental international conventions or consensus are the results of the internal political situations and the competitive forces’ restraints in participating countries. The reinterpretations of the consensus and their implementation by the governments will be deeply influenced by the situations and the forces. Without sufficient and strong pressures from citizen societies at home and abroad, the governments may well become those who would make “rational choice” when they explain and implement the consensus – to defend the short-term interests of their countries by taking advantages of the flexibility or “defects” of the principle as much as they can. In the case of China, without substantial impetus from civilian forces, it is indeed easier for Chinese government to insist on rejecting a political recognition and policy position of common, long-term and leading responsibilities. Beginning from the Copenhagen, Chinese environmental NGOs tend to take a position of cooperation with the government and get active responses from the related departments of the government. The configuration of “benign interactions” may be beneficial to the growth of the NGOs and their more constructive role, but may not be helpful for the government to implement the policies confronting climate change and uplift its environmental polices to a higher level. It may also not helpful to the expansion of the international influences of Chinese environmental NGOs.