Dec. 10: With environment minister Jairam Ramesh leaving for Copenhagen on Friday and Prime Minister Manmohan Singh is scheduled to attend the summit meeting on December 18, the government on Thursday finalised the brief for India’s position to be adopted on the issue at the high-level talks in the global climate change conference.
Sources close to the meeting of Union Cabinet, chaired by the Dr Singh, confirmed that the ministers had thorough discussions on various aspects related to the developments at the global conference and marked red lines for the negotiations India will adhere to.
While refusing to take legally binding cuts, India has announced 20-25 per cent emission intensity cuts by 2020 compared to the 2005 levels as a "domestic action" to show its seriousness to curb the greenhouse gases which are responsible for global warming.
Meanwhile, the Union Cabinet also cleared a proposal for creating a "National Population Register for villages situated in India’s coastline and to issue biometric identity cards to inhabitants".
The project will be completed in phases covering coastal areas with a population of 25 crores.
