India on Sunday said there was no question of taking any binding carbon emission cuts, indicating the coordinated approach major emerging economies including Beijing and New Delhi are likely to adopt at the climate change summit in Copenhagen, which is just a week away. “There cannot be any emission cuts... that is what we have said and also something the developed countries have said... they [industrialised nations] don’t expect countries like...

This has been a hot week for climate talks. The two laggards, China and the US, both departed from their no commitment stand to boldly announce the following: the US to reduce its carbon emissions by 17 per cent over 2005 levels, and China to reduce the intensity (CO2 emissions per unit of output) by 40-45 percent. Europe has already promised a 40 per cent cut in per capita terms....

French President Sarkozy energises normally sedate gathering, pushes for a stronger stance on climate change Port of Spain: As the 2009 meeting of the heads of government of the Commonwealth began on Friday — inaugurated in a colourful ceremony by Queen Elizabeth II — the normally sedate gathering of heads of former British colonies was energised by the presence of an unexpected guest, French President Nicolas Sarkozy. Along with the U.N....

China's decision to unveil carbon emissions targets two weeks before the Copenhagen climate change summit has put pressure on India, a minister says. Environment Minister Jairam Ramesh has said China's decision is a "wake-up call to India". India, like China previously, says it will not commit to cuts until developed nations also pledge to meet targets. China said this week it aimed to reduce its "carbon intensity" by 40-45% by the...

India should insist that developed nations take the lead with substantial emission reductions, in line with the IPCC recommendations. Any non-binding agreement committing all nations without distinction should be rejected.  It is a measure of the current state of global climate negotiations that the only point on which all nations are likely to agree is that the prospects of an agreement at Copenhagen are far from bright. The moral and...