Equity has to be the centrepiece of discussion: India tells global climate meet

Durban, Dec 10 (PTI) Asserting that equity has to be the centrepiece of climate talks, India has slammed developed nations for not doing enough to combat global warming as it made an "emotional" appeal for space for basic development for its 1.2 billion people and poverty eradication. In the midst of growing criticism, India's Environment Minister Jayanthi Natarajan told delegates from 194 countries that India -- which is being seen as "deal-breaker" for not agreeing to a legally binding treaty -- was not holding up the climate talks. India along with US and China is under pressure to accept a legally binding treaty proposed by the EU, which would be signed by 2015 and come into force by 2020. "I was astonished and disturbed by the comments of my colleague from Canada who was pointing at us as to why we are against the roadmap," she said. "I am disturbed to find that a legally binding protocol to the Convention, negotiated just 14 years ago is now being junked in a cavalier manner." "Countries which had signed and ratified it are walking away without even a polite goodbye," she said. "And yet, pointing at others." Natarajan's strong words received huge applause and a standing ovation on a day when India was described as a stumbling block to the talks here. "It is a factual statement, it is an emotional statement," the minister told reporters later. Natarajan, during her speech, asserted that India was not a major emitter. "I am from India and I represent 1.2 billion people," she said. "My country has a tiny per capita carbon footprint of 1.7 tonne and our per capita GDP is even lower." As a developing country, "the principles of equity and CBDR (common but differentiated responsibility) are central for us," the minister said. Natarajan said that "India is asking for space for basic development for its people and poverty eradication." Is this an unreasonable demand?," she then asked. The EU Roadmap is backed by the Alliance of Small Island States, which want the treaty to come into force as early as next year. The island nations are especially vulnerable to the rising sea levels and have been pushing for China and India to accept carbon emission cuts. "I was also deeply moved listening to the comments of my colleagues and friends from the small island states," Natarajan said. "Our positions may be different, but their sentiments resonate with me very strongly." "India has 600 islands which may be submerged, we have deltaic region in which millions of people live," she said. "We are absolutely at the forefront of the vulnerability of climate change." The climate talks in Durban, which were set to conclude yesterday, were spilling to one more day. Delegates had been negotiating for hours at stretch and well into the night. India has expressed anger at the developed world for shifting the burden of its "historical responsibility" on the developing nations. Indian diplomats have angrily pointed out that the developed countries did not deliver on their promises of mitigation, adaptation and technology under the Kyoto Protocol, which is the only legally binding treaty on climate change. India wants the developed world to shoulder the international burden of reducing its carbon emissions since eradicating poverty remains its overriding priority. "Former Prime Minister of India Indira Gandhi said that poverty is the greatest polluter and development is the greatest healer," Natarajan said. "Equity has to be the centrepiece of the Climate discussion and our negotiations should be built on it." "It would be helpful if we do not talk at each other and do not prejudge each other," Natarajan told the delegates. She insisted that "we cannot accept the principle of CBDR to be diluted. The firewall of CBDR must not be broken. Equity in the debate must be secured." Noting that India has taken "ambitious steps" to address climate change, she said Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has announced that the country's per capita emissions would never exceed that of developed countries. "We have pledged to lower our emissions intensity of our GDP by 20-25 per cent by 2020." She said a recent report from Stockholm Institute has noted that the mitigation pledges of developing countries amount to more mitigation than that of developed countries. "What we demand is for existing commitments to be met. What we demand is comparability of actions. We demand that the emissions gap must be bridged." Natarajan said that there should be "clear timelines" that advance the actions and ambition of parties. "We should have an ambitious implementation phase till 2013 and then go to the Review in 2013-15 to make an assessment based on science and commitments," Natarajan said. "We should then begin work on the arrangements... We should not confuse legally binding arrangements with ambition. We need commitments, not mere hollow promises," she said. Meanwhile, South Africa dismissed reports of joining a new climate pact proposed by EU for a legally binding treaty to be signed by 2015, saying there is no "split" among BASIC nations -- Brazil, South Africa, India and China -- on the issue. "We already have a Roadmap — the Bali Roadmap," Alf Wills, South Africa's lead negotiator on climate change said, referring to the plan of action decided in 2007. Wills also defended the Indian position, saying that it made sense for Natarajan to want to learn about the "content" of any treaty before agreeing to its legal form. Natarajan also said there was no split in BASIC alliance. "BASIC is on the same page," she said. PTI