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Former New Zealand Prime Minister Helen Clark says China could become a powerful force to help developing nations fight both climate change and poverty with low-cost exports of wind or solar technologies.
China could be a big part of the solution with new green technology exports, such as wind turbines, solar panels and other low-carbon technologies, said Clark, who heads the United Nation's development programme (UNDP), its principal provider of development advice, advocacy and grant support.
"When (China) applies its mind to getting these goods out there at a competitive price I think it will be extremely powerful," she said.
"They have already emerged as a major exporter of wind energy".
China had an ability to produce green technology "cheaper and more widespread than before", Forbes magazine reported.
Clark said climate change was not only the biggest environmental challenge but a huge development issue.
"We have to aim for green and inclusive growth," she said.
Developing nations have said they are most at risk from global warming that the UN panel of climate experts predicts will disrupt food and water supplies and cause more powerful storms, heatwaves, species extinctions and rising ocean levels.
China has the world's biggest greenhouse gas emission, but could also work out models for greener cities in the developing world.
"By 2030 it's estimated that China will have 350 million more people living in cities than it has today," Clark said. "The opportunity for planned urbanisation around sustainable city models is there."
Developing countries have said they will do more to fight global warming, but ending poverty remains their overriding concern.
"You cannot divorce the climate change issues from poverty reduction," said Clark. "We believe fundamentally that you won't reduce poverty if the world is destroying ecosystsms on which we all depend."
She said a draft final text for Copenhagen on Friday should make more reference to the goal of ending poverty.
"There's a bit of work to do on that," she said. "It has to have a reference to sustainable development and poverty reduction. It has to be a deal for development."
"Developing countries have not come here to sign a deal that is just good for the environment," she added.
She also said that planned start-up funds of $US10 billion ($NZ13.6 billion) a year for 2010-12, requested by the United Nations, were a fraction of long-term needs to help the developing world combat climate change and adapt to harmful impacts.
A key mandate for the UNDP is to work on the environment and sustainable development, and
Clark has previously said this has produced a big portfolio of climate-related issues ranging from adaptation and disaster risk management, through to low carbon growth strategies, energy and access to "carbon finance".
She has argued that rather than rich countries putting $US10 billion a year on the table to help poor nations cope with climate change, the annual figure should be $US75 billion to $US100 billion, with "climate finance" potentially replacing existing development assistance.
