While there is a general sense of agreement on the principle of equity per se, the challenge now will be to make the world agree on operationalising equity — equity cannot remain just an idea, it should become an operational principle, said R.R Rashmi, chief Indian negotiator at the 18th UN Conference of Parties on Climate Change in Doha.
He was speaking at a side-event organised in Doha on Wednesday by the Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) and the Ministry of Environment and Forests.
Sunita Narian, Director-General, CSE, said: “there can be no effective deal at Doha without equity, and urged the Indian Government to take a principled stand and walk out of the Doha climate talks if equity is not made a part of the deal’’.
Both Narain and Rashmi pointed out that developed countries were not fulfilling their obligations and were trying to rewrite the climate convention at Doha.
Narain said conditions should be created so that the world could move to low-carbon, and leapfrog to cleaner technologies.
Earlier, Minister of State for Environment and Forests, Jayanthi Natarajan, has also made it clear that India would not compromise on the principles of equity and historical responsibility.
