Negotiators and non-government organizations attending the Cancun climate change conference are making efforts to reach a consensus over the extension of the Kyoto Protocol.

The move comes after Japan announced it was opposed to extending the treaty. Meanwhile, China said it will firmly committ itself to the process of the Kyoto Protocol. S

Recent negotiations were focused on several issues including emission cut standards of the developed countries in the second commitment period of the Kyoto Protocol, adding funds and promoting technology for tackling climate change.

On Wednesday, Japan made a statement saying it will not extend the Protocol after it expires in 2012.

Jun Arima, Deputy Director-General, Global Environmental Affairs, said, "We are not supporting the second commitment period of the Kyoto protocol because it is not an effective vehicle for addressing global climate change mitigation and its coverage is only 27 percent of the total emissions and that share we would rather decline in the coming years."

Japan wants to register all post-2012 cuts in a new deal, building on a non-binding Copenhagen Accord agreed last year by 140 Nations accounting for 80 percent of emissions.

Meanwhile, Japan's stance has triggered a strong response from negotiators.

Su Wei, China's Chief Negotiator, said, "The Japanese delegates are strongly opposed to the extension of the second commitment period of the Kyoto Protocol. It will greatly affect the balanced outcome of the conference. The extension of the protocol is one of the crucial issues concerning the success of the Cancun conference."

Su also believed the Protocol is a key issue to a climate regime and a basis for the international community to address global warming.

Negotiators from other countries and non-governmental organizations attending the conference also slammed Japan's decision on Wednesday, by describing it as "unconstructive".

The Kyoto Protocol was adopted in Japan in 1997. Major emitting countries committed to cutting greenhouse gas emissions by 5.2 percent from their 1990 baseline levels by 2012.

(CCTV December 3, 2010)