World | India
'Per-capita' approach to emissions urged
India has reiterated its position that there can be no question of developing countries agreeing to mandatory caps on their greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, even as US President George W. Bush called on India and China to be effective partners in a global treaty to combat climate change.
- IANS
- Published: 00:07 July 4, 2008
New Delhi: India has reiterated its position that there can be no question of developing countries agreeing to mandatory caps on their greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, even as US President George W. Bush called on India and China to be effective partners in a global treaty to combat climate change.
Bush said on Wednesday he would discuss the issue with Prime Minister Manmohan Singh when he met leaders of the major economies on the sidelines of the G8 summit in Japan next week. Only hours earlier, Singh's chief negotiator on climate change, Shyam Saran, said there could be no question of India agreeing to a mandatory cap on its GHG emissions.
Mandatory caps and reductions in GHG emissions were for developed countries who were responsible for almost all the excess GHG in the atmosphere, Saran said, adding that this had been stated clearly in the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC).
Going further, Saran said: "As a matter of principle, there is no other basis on which we can determine what we have all agreed upon... which is that there must be an equitable arrangement".
India has been working in close concert with the Group of 77 countries (G77) and China in international climate change talks.
Asked if there was support in G77 for India's position, Saran said: "In G77, we're not working at the moment on such a specific principle. What we're working on is the broader goal of common but differentiated responsibilities based on respective capabilities (as mentioned in the UNFCCC). India's principle can be incorporated into that very easily. But to be honest we've not done that yet because the G77 works on a consensus approach and we don't want to disturb that."
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