Despite the Centre’s assurance that the accord will not affect country’s sovereignty, Opposition parties criticised the government of failing to safeguard country’s national interest by agreeing to the accord.

Leader of Opposition in the Rajya Sabha, Arun Jaitley, while participating in a discussion on the issue in the Upper House, said the accord is a "global disappointment" and a compromise document which hurt India’s sovereignty by opening voluntary emission cuts to global scrutiny.

Mr Jaitley, while briefing the media later, said the government suffers from "Sharm-el Sheikh syndrome" as far as the climate change accord in Copenhagen is concerned. He said what the document suggests, the government has informed the House completely contrast to it, adding that the government had digressed from its commitments to Parliament.

Terming the accord as "betrayal of poor nations," the BJP leader took particular objection to the mention of peaking of emissions in the accord even though no year has been fixed for it. Mr Jaitley said with the new development, there is a "complete repugnancy" between obligations under the Copenhagen Accord and the Kyoto Protocol.