India's stance on climate change non-negotiable, says Ramesh

Environment and Forests Minister Jairam Ramesh today categorically stated that while India was prepared to discuss and periodically make public the implementation of its National Action Plan on climate change, it would never accept internationally legally binding emission reduction targets or commitments as part of any agreement or deal or outcome.

“India will never accept any dilution or renegotiation of the provisions and principles of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC). In particular, we will never agree to the elimination of the distinction between developed (“Annex I”) countries and developing (“non-Annex I”) countries as far as internationally legally binding emission reduction obligations are concerned. Internationally legally binding emission reduction targets are for developed countries and developed countries alone, as globally agree under the Bali Action Plan,” Ramesh said in a press statement.

Ramesh admitted he had suggested to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh that “some flexibility” be introduced in India’s stand on climate change issues, but ruled out diluting the stance on the Kyoto Protocol that imposes emission cuts on developed countries. “I have never at any stage considered or advocated abandoning the fundamental tenets of the Kyoto Protocol,” his statement said while maintaining that the Indian stand was “irrevocably anchored” in the UNFCCC and the Bali Action Plan.
 

FOR GREENER EARTH

*Saarc countries to publish a compendium of national action plans of all the eight Saarc countries

* Annual South Asian workshop on climate change to begin from February-March 2010 in Delhi

* Collective statement by Saarc countries in Copenhagen

* 50 automated weather stations

The statement was a rebuttal to a recent media report which suggested he had written a letter to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh recommending that India should junk the Kyoto Protocol and delink itself from the G-77 (a block of developing nations and take on greenhouse gas emission commitments), besides permitting the external scrutiny of the measures it takes at its own cost.

“Yesterday, a leading newspaper had carried a news item on a discussion note that I wrote on climate change. The news item has quoted only partially and selectively from this note, and significantly added its own editorial interpretations, thereby completely distorting and twisting its meaning,” noted Ramesh in the statement.

The statement added that India would agree to consider international measurement, reporting and verification of its mitigation actions only when such actions are enabled and supported by international finance and technology. “India, like other developing countries, fully expects developed countries to fulfil their obligations on transfer of technology and financial transfer that they committed to under the UNFCCC and the Bali Action for both mitigation and adaptation actions,” it pointed out.

PTI adds: Ahead of the climate change talks in Copenhagen, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh accused developed nations of making “concerted attempts” to impose emission cuts on developing countries and said such moves could affect economic progress. “There are concerted attempts by the developed countries to impose new obligations on developing countries like India to limit emission of greenhouse gases. This could impact on our economic development,” Singh said addressing the Army Commanders Conference in New Delhi.

Incidentally, after the eighth meeting of Saarc (South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation) environment ministers here today, Ramesh said that the Saarc members would also adhere to the UNFCCC and the Bali Action Plan. “The Saarc speaks in one voice that we should not move away from UNFCCC, Kyoto Protocol and the Bali Action Plan on climate change,” Ramesh told reporters after the meeting.