'Developing nations should do more in tackling climate change'

New Delhi, Feb 5 (PTI) UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon
Thursday asked the developing countries to pitch in more
efforts to address climate change and "get on board" with the
industrialised world to find solutions for the crisis.

"Brazil has been taking a quite proactive role in
the implementattion of bio-fuel and afforestaion policies.
China and India have also taken steps. But that is not enough,
they have to do more," Ban said in an interactive session at
the Delhi Sustainable Development Summit.

He said redressal of the climate change crisis was a
"common and shared" responsibility and countries of the world
should not "argue" on who has to contribute more or less to
tackle global warming.

"We should not argue who is more responsible, who is less
responsible, who should do more and as to who less. This is a
common, shared responsibility," Ban said.

India and some of the developing countries have been
arguing on the principle of common but differentiated
responsibility in tackling global warming citing that they had
no share in having caused the problem.

"Just believing that the industrialised countries will be
forthcoming in providing technology transfer and financial
support...I think all the countries should get onboard,
particularly those four (developing) countries should take a
leading role and a positive role," Ban said.

Ban sought to assure that "challenges and difficulties"
of developing countries, land-locked countries, least
developed countries and small island nations will be taken
care of.

The top UN official appeared encouraged by US President
Barack Obama's assurance on reaching an agreement on the pact
to replace the Kyoto Protocol at a meeting of world leaders in
Copenhagen in December.

"President Obama said that we can make a deal at
Copenhagen. This would not have been possible during the
previous Bush administration... President Obama has already
taken some domestic measures. I certainly hope that we can
make a deal at Copenhagen," Ban said.

Ban was honoured with the Sustainable Development
Leadership Award 2009 by The Energy Research Institute.

Accepting the award, he said the Copenhagen summit must
clarify commitments of developed countries to reduce their
emissions by setting up ambitious mid-term targets, with
credible baselines. It should also achieve clarity on
mitigation actions developing countries are ready to take.

The meeting must advance on the issue of financing the
mitigation and adaptation needs of developing countries, Ban
said, adding that the governments as well as the UN must come
up with credible solutions for the governance of new funds,
and for their implementation response. PTI SKU