The report titled ‘Accelerating Equitable Achievement of the Millennium Development Goals: Closing Gaps in Health and Nutrition Outcomes’, published by the UN Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP), the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the Asian Development Bank lists absolute carbon emission cuts and reduced use of ozone-depleting substances as part of MDG number 7 relating to environmental sustainability.

The very first table slams India and China for making ‘no progress or regressing’ on cutting their carbon emissions-all this when carbon emission reduction or reduction in the use of ozone-depleting substances has never been part of the Millennium Development Goals. Moreover, the developing countries led by India and China have not agreed to absolute cuts in carbon emissions and that’s the real issue of debate in the ongoing climate change talks.

‘I am shocked to see this report. The first table lists absolute cuts in carbon emission and reduced use of ozone-depleting substances as part of MDG number 7 which relates to environmental sustainability. This is a very serious conceptual, intellectual and analytical flaw and the authors must make a change because absolute carbon emission cuts and reduction in the consumption of ozone-depleting substances have never been part of any MDG,’ Rural Development Minister Jairam Ramesh said, taking the UN officials at the gathering by surprise.

Ramesh was the chief guest at the event and he was to launch the said report. But before he did that, he slammed the authors for erroneous and misleading contents. UN Assistant Secretary General and Director for Asia and the Pacific Ajay Chhibber later said the agency would write a clarification to the minister and make changes in the report.

“The minister is right in saying that absolute cuts in carbon emissions and reduced substances were never part of the official Millennium Development Goals. We will look at the data and clarify the flaw,” he said.

Jairam said MDG 7 on environmental sustainability had only the following targets – improving forest cover, improving water supply and sanitation and reducing the proportion of population living in slums.

“Nowhere are CO2 emissions cuts mentioned. Worse still, the report shows India as regressing on the target which is not there. You should know the Millennium Development Goals are meant only for the developing countries and no developing country has accepted the goal of absolute declines in CO2 emissions,” he said.

The minister reminded the United Nations that the entire climate change debate was all about how much CO2 a country can reduce.

“We have only agreed to reduce the intensity of emissions, not to absolute declines in emissions of CO2,” the minister said.

The report in question assesses the progress of 55 Asia Pacific nations on the attainment of Millennium Development Goals.