A STEELY lot, India’s negotiators for the Copenhagen climate talks, to be held from December 7th, are still afraid of abandonment by China. India’s position looks formidable, so long as the world’s other and mightier billion-strong developing nation shares its demands: for the sanctity of the principles enshrined in the Kyoto protocol (KP), which exempts developing countries from having to curb (or mitigate) their carbon emissions. India’s champions therefore had...

The crucial climate change summit to draw up a new plan to tackle global warming that will replace the Kyoto Protocol beyond 2012 will begin in Copenhagen on Monday. Though not much was expected to emerge at the end of the 12-day meet until recently, hopes of some kind of a consensus on a political commitment have been kindled with world leaders, including Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, deciding to attend...

Funds release after Kasturirangan Committee submits report Greenpeace hails India’s proposal to cut carbon intensity The Planning Commission has promised a substantial hike in funds allocation to study climate change impact and the funds will be made available after the Kasturirangan Committee submits a report. This was stated by Member (Energy), Planning Commission, B.K. Chaturvedi, while inaugurating “Power Conference 2009,” organised by Assocham here on Friday. Only on Thursday, Minister of State (independent...

It is to counter the Danish draft that proposed tough action by developing countries Call for setting up of a Global Climate Fund The four emerging economies — Brazil, South Africa, India and China — have recommended the establishment of a mechanism to develop and transfer environment-friendly technology to developing countries, remove barriers in technology transfer and appropriately address issues of intellectual property rights. The BASIC draft proposed by these four developing...

Bharatiya Janata Party leader Arun Jaitley on Friday charged that Environment Minister Jairam Ramesh had in fact rubbished India’s consistent position on climate change and “endorsed the principle put forward by the developed world.” India gave in to the “bandwagon effect,” following China in announcing voluntary cuts in carbon emission intensity, not caring about the fact that its per capita emissions were far higher than India’s, he said. In any case,...