Gurgaon (PTI) India on Sunday said it was not in a position to accept any "legally binding" reductions in green house gas (GHG) emissions amid concerns by developed countries over the increasing carbon emissions by developing nations.
"India's position is clear and categorical that we are simply not in a position to take any legally binding emissions reductions," Environment Minister Jairam Ramesh said here flanked by US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton.
In the backdrop of contentions from developed nations that New Delhi was not doing enough to tackle the problem of climate change, Mr. Ramesh asserted India was not running away from its responsibilities.
Mr. Ramesh, however, pointed out that India is taking steps to combat climate change and has already launched a national plan to tackle the problem.
He asserted that India's per capita emissions would never exceed that of the developed countries.
"The US does not and will not do anything that would limit India's economic progress. India is a country very vulnerable to climate change," Ms. Clinton said.
The US wants India to agree to limit its carbon emissions ahead of the signing of a new UN climate treaty in Copenhagen in December.
"India's green house gas pollution is projected to grow by about 50 per cent between now and 2030," Ms. Clinton said.
Mr. Ramesh agreed with the visiting US Secretary of State that it was possible for the developing and developed countries to narrow their positions on climate change.
"It is possible for us to have an international agreement that recognises common but differentiated responsibilities and which also involves credible actions by countries like India and China to mitigate the GHG emissions in future," he added.
The minister, however, said India was bound for the negotiations made in United National Framework on Climate Change (UNFCC) which exempts developing countries from taking any emission cuts while seeking GHG emission cut from the developed countries such as the US.
"We know our responsibilities very well. But we want that the developed countries fulfill their promises made in the UNFCC and then in Bali action plan," Mr. Ramesh said.
Regarding the bilateral agreements between the US and India to tackle global warming, he said the two nations have agreed on "concrete partnerships" in the area of energy efficiency during his discussions with Ms. Clinton.
"I want to say that both sides have agreed on the need of partnerships, concrete partnerships, on projects in various fields like energy efficiency, solar energy, biomass, energy-efficient buildings of the type that you are seeing here today," he said.
