China has been accused of blocking crucial measures in the new climate accord due to be finalized this Friday at the 21st Conference of Parties (COP21) in Paris.

Chinese negotiators have been accused of trying to weaken the new global climate agreement in the on-going Paris negotiations even as the deadline for the accord is just days away, according to The Financial Times.

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The biggest bone of contention appears to be a proposed measure that requires each nation to update the United Nations (UN) on the pledges they have made to limit their carbon dioxide (CO₂)emissions.  Some nations have asserted that the reporting should be done every five years beginning 2020.  China is amenable to a review of the pledges, but is insisting that any updating should be voluntary, according to one envoy.   

Chinese negotiators are also reportedly resisting the creation of a common system for the way countries report to the UN on the progress they have made toward the achievement of their climate change plans and the reduction of their greenhouse gas emissions.  

"It is very frustrating," a negotiator from a developed nation is quoted as saying after a meeting with the Chinese delegation.

Developing nations are firmly behind the two proposed measures, and have argued that since developing nations are responsible for a growing share of greenhouse gas emissions in the atmosphere, they should be held to more stringent reporting and monitoring requirements.  

Developing nations are currently not obliged to report to the UN on their CO₂ emissions as regularly as industrialized countries.  China is still classified as a developing nation under UN rules dating back to 1992.  This has allowed Beijing to submit to the UN just two communications concerning its climate change targets over the past 23 years, according to reports. The US is said to be taking steps to ensure that this situation is changed during the on-going Paris negotiations.

"You need to have those basic elements of [emissions] inventories,  reporting and review  on the developing country side, as well," said US climate envoy Todd Stern.

In spite achieving more to reduce its greenhouse gasses than some developed nations over the past few years, China's has repeatedly received sharp criticism for its coal use and emissions policies.

China has, however staunchly maintained that the Paris accord should uphold the principle of "common but differentiated responsibilities" based on each nation's respective capabilities.    

TagsParis Summit, US, Developing nations, COP21, China Paris Climate Accord