"Without a base year, these figures don't mean much," said Pachauri speaking to the media. Senior Indian negotiators slammed the statement more firmly saying the G8 statement released on Tuesday was a "diversionary tactic". The statement, closely watched by experts in India, sources pointed out, did not mention the base year from which emissions would be measured for reduction.

The Kyoto Protocol currently in place under the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) demands that developed countries reduce their emissions by fixed percentage from their 1990 levels. But the G8 statement, a clear indicator where the rich countries want the UN deliberations on a post-2012 scenario to go, left out any mention of the baseline year. "It was a compromise made to the European Union," explained an Indian negotiator. The EU was keen upon setting a clear long-term emission reduction target. But other G8 members were not. A compromise was worked out. The base year was left out. To assuage the demands of US, it was also mentioned in the text that the global goal could only be met with 'contributions from all major economies' — indicating that G8 wants India to also take commitments on mandatory emission cuts.

By leaving out a base year, the G8 has primarily left it open to negotiate the goal post to its convenience later even as they put a fig leaf of a figure for emission cuts.

The base year becomes an important element in the negotiations because of the failure of many developed countries to achieve their targets under the existing Kyoto regime. UN data shows that instead of reducing their emissions over the past few years several key countries have ended up increasing them.

This has prompted reluctance in them to assign any short-term targets for reductions. US has been categorical in only talking of a long-term goal and look at only 'aspirational' goals in the short run.

An Indian member of the negotiating team cited the example of the Swiss proposal at the UN meetings to show what the 'rich countries' are really after. Switzerland put up a proposal suggesting that a carbon tax be put on emissions of all countries above a certain level of per capita emissions. But even EU, considered 'progressive' in many circles on climate change issues, objected to the proposal because it would leave India out as its per capita emissions are lower than the average developing country emissions, leave alone the rich countries. "Ultimately the developed countries are targeting countries that are seen as future economic powerhouses," the team member explained.

Caps on emissions by developing nations, India and other emerging economies contend, would stub their economic growth and divert precious investments and resources needed to alleviate poverty.