New Delhi: BJP on Saturday accused Environment
Minister Jairam Ramesh of speaking a different language abroad
on the issue of climate change after buckling under
international pressure and suggested that India should follow
the policy of voluntary emission cuts.
"The Environment Minister should make his stand clear on
the issue of climate change. He says something here and
something else in China," BJP spokesperson Ravi Shankar Prasad
claimed.
The senior BJP leader maintained that the developed
countries were raising the issue of climate change only after
reaching high levels of development and at a juncture when
India is on the threshold of becoming a developed nation.
"India should continue to follow the policy of voluntary
emission cuts. It should not change its stand under
international pressure," Prasad said.
Ramesh, who is on a visit to China, had said that India
would come out with its own carbon emission targets based on
its economic growth levels.
China has announced massive emission cut target of upto
45 percent by 2020.
The matter would come up for discussion at the Copenhagen
climate summit scheduled for December.
The minister is believed to be of the view that India
cannot ignore emission target levels fixed on their own by
countries like China, Brazil and South Africa. But India's
targets may not be as high as that of China.
PTI
First Published: Saturday, November 28, 2009, 18:07