India not to accept legally binding emission cut targets
20 Oct 2009
India will never accept legally binding emission reduction targets or commitments as part of any international agreement or deal, Jairam Ramesh, minister of state (independent charge) for environment and forests, has said.
Clarifying on India's policy stance on climate change, the minister said India will never agree to the elimination of the distinction between developed and developing countries as far as these bindings are concerned.
The minister was clarifying on reports that the country will agree to consider international measurement, reporting and verification (MRV) of its mitigation.
"Yesterday, a leading newspaper had carried a news item on a discussion note that I wrote on climate change. The news-item has quoted only partially and selectively from this note, and significantly added its own editorial interpretations, thereby completely distorting and twisting its meaning. Let me reiterate India's non-negotiables in the ongoing international climate change negotiations," Ramesh said.
While India is prepared to discuss and make public periodically the implementation of its `National Action Plan' on climate change, he said, India will never accept internationally legally binding emission reduction targets or commitments as part of any agreement or deal or outcome.
"India will never accept any dilution or renegotiation of the provisions and principles of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC). In particular, we will never agree to the elimination of the distinction between developed countries and developing countries as far as internationally legally binding emission reduction obligations are concerned. Internationally, legally binding emission reduction targets are for developed countries and developed countries alone, as globally agree under the Bail Action Plan.
