Ramesh's remarks on cuts cause confusion

Confusion prevailed today over some reports from Beijing which quoted environment and forests minister, Jairam Ramesh, saying India will voluntarily reduce its carbon intensity by 20-25 per cent.

A couple of days ago, China had decided to voluntarily slow the growth of its carbon emissions ahead of the Copenhagen climate summit on December 7. The move followed President Barack Obama’s pledge that the US will cut greenhouse-gas emissions 17 per cent from 2005 levels by 2020 and 83 per cent by 2050.

Both India and China have been in the same bloc as the Group of 77 countries in climate negotiations. G-77 is actually the 131-member bloc of developing nations. India, China and other large developing nations have, till date, maintained that there cannot be any mandatory emission cuts without financial support and technology transfer from developed nations. Hence, China’s announcement may have put pressure on Ramesh to have formally put a number to India’s efforts, according to experts and Opposition parties. The BJP today accused Ramesh of speaking a different language abroad on the issue of climate change after buckling under international pressure.

“The environment minister should make his stand clear on the issue of climate change,” BJP claimed.