Gurgaon: India on Sunday said it was not in a
position to accept any "legally binding" reductions in green
house gas (GHG) emissions amid concerns by developed countries
over the increasing carbon emissions by developing nations.
"India's position is clear and categorical that we are
simply not in a position to take any legally binding emissions
reductions," Environment Minister Jairam Ramesh said here
flanked by US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton.
In the backdrop of contentions from developed nations
that New Delhi was not doing enough to tackle the problem of
climate change, Ramesh asserted India was not running away
from its responsibilities.
Ramesh, however, pointed out that India is taking steps
to combat climate change and has already launched a national
plan to tackle the problem.
He asserted that India's per capita emissions would never
exceed that of the developed countries.
"The US does not and will not do anything that would
limit India's economic progress. India is a country very
vulnerable to climate change," Clinton said.
The US wants India to agree to limit its carbon emissions
ahead of the signing of a new UN climate treaty in Copenhagen
in December.
"India's green house gas pollution is projected to grow
by about 50 per cent between now and 2030," Clinton said.
Ramesh agreed with the visiting US Secretary of State
that it was possible for the developing and developed
countries to narrow their positions on climate change.
"It is possible for us to have an international
agreement that recognises common but differentiated
responsibilities and which also involves credible actions by
countries like India and China to mitigate the GHG emissions
in future," he added.
The minister, however, said India was bound for the
negotiations made in United National Framework on Climate
Change (UNFCC) which exempts developing countries from taking
any emission cuts while seeking GHG emission cut from the
developed countries such as the US.
"We know our responsibilities very well. But we want
that the developed countries fulfill their promises made in
the UNFCC and then in Bali action plan," Ramesh said.
Regarding the bilateral agreements between the US and
India to tackle global warming, he said the two nations have
agreed on "concrete partnerships" in the area of energy
efficiency during his discussions with Clinton.
"I want to say that both sides have agreed on the need
of partnerships, concrete partnerships, on projects in various
fields like energy efficiency, solar energy, biomass,
energy-efficient buildings of the type that you are seeing
here today," he said.
Bureau Report
First Published: Sunday, July 19, 2009, 20:10