International community should make a just agreement on climate change

The International community should make a just agreement in dealing with climate change, otherwise it won't work, says Stefen Edman, a biologist and climate change expert in Stockholm.

He made the remark recently in an interview with People's Daily Online reporter after giving a speech about Human, Environment and Society in Stockholm to more than 100 participants who care about environment and climate change issues.

Stefen Edman was the policy advisor to former Prime Minister Göran Persson. He helped to draft the policy that Sweden will reduce oil consumption by 70% over the next 30 years and in the end to achieve oil free country. Sweden is actively implementing such policies now which sees the effect already but in transport sector it is still difficult because Sweden has 4.3 million personal cars, almost every two person has a car.

Being asked about the dilemma that America as the largest emitter in per capita in the world refused to sign the Kyoto Protocol in fulfilling its responsibility of reducing greenhouse gas emission by saying that China must shoulder more responsibilities, then America will take their responsibility, Edman said "You could not reach an agreement unless you have a just agreement. China's per capita emission is just 3 tons while that of the US is 20 tons. Thus America should take bigger responsibility."

Edman said that in the thick forest, if you look at lives under your foot, you will find 120 thousand small animals, 5 billion bacteria and many other things. It is these animals and bacteria that form a web of life and human being must rely on them.

"If these tiny animals or bacteria disappear, we will have no food. Thus we must love our earth." said Edman. "We must change the lifestyle of our middle class otherwise we will eat up the achievement made by the new technology. We must have a healthy lifestyle, careful consumption based on non material mechanism. We can develop more in culture and education.

Edman also wrote several books including ‘The Earth has got a fever.'

By Xuefei Chen Axelsson, People's Daily Online correspondent in Stockholm.