India against deferring substantive outcome at Copenhagen meet

I / Port Of Spain November 27, 2009, 13:40 IST

Ahead of the Copenhagen Summit on climate change, India today said the meeting should make all efforts to come out with a "legally binding substantive" outcome on tackling the pressing global challenge and disapproved of any attempt to give up and defer a decision as is being mulled by some developed countries.

Prime Minister's Special Envoy on Climate Change Shyam Saran said here that even if no consensus is reached at Copenhagen next month, efforts should continue with an aim of concluding within time-bound manner the negotiations as mandated by the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change.

The issue of climate change is going to dominate the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) here which is being attended by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh.

The 53-nation grouping of former British colonies, which include developed, developing and under-developed countries, is expected to come out with a communique pressing for early decision on tackling the problem of climate change.

The CHOGM, also to be attended by UN Secretary General Ban Ki Moon and French President Nikolas Sarkozy, can send out a message for the Copenhagen meet, with an objective of influencing the negotiators to reach a decision.

Talking about the urgency, Saran said countries like Maldives even faced the threat of extinction if temperature witnesses an increase. He expected the least developed countries of Commonwealth to make a stronger pitch for urgent action.