Joint implementation: sacrifices or opportunities for China?

The extent to which non-Annex I countries would work together with Annex I countries in combating global warming would be contingent on Annex I countries really taking the lead in reducing their GHG emissions and providing adequate technology transfer and financing. This is the best means of encouraging developing country participation and convincing hitherto sceptical countries of joint implementation (JI) as a cost-effective climate measure. Moreover, given the breadth of the subject of JI and its close linkage with national sovereignty, global political agenda, and national development priorities, a wide and successful implementa¬tion of JI will be conditional upon the consensus on a variety of operational issues such as the form of JI, criteria for JI, the establish¬ment of baselines against which the effects of JI projects can be measured, and the verification of emission reductions of JI projects. Even if such a consensus would be reached, given the fact that AIJ/JI remains virtually unknown to the majority of social and economic sectors in China as in most developing countries, it is still unrealistic to expect that AIJ/JI projects with China work as smoothly and fast as the developed countries wish. This underlines the need to promote JI through pilot projects in China's interest and capacity building in China in order to make JI gain ground and provide mutual benefits to all the parties involved. Furthermore, the extent of China's cooperation on JI will to some extent depend on the certainties about climate change. This in turn underlines the need for the scientific community to continue its efforts to clarify the scientific basis for climate change problem in order to lower the uncertainties about its magnitude, timing and regional patterns.