Speaking at the Delhi Sustainable Development Summit on Friday, organised by R K Pachauri’s The Energy and Resources Institute (TERI), Singh said, “Some aspects of the science that is reflected in the work of the IPCC have faced criticism. But this debate does not challenge the core projections of the IPCC... Let me here assert that India has full confidence in the IPCC process and its leadership and will support it in every way that it can.”

The PM lauded Pachauri for his “able and far-sighted leadership” in getting TERI its “well deserved respect and international acclaim”, but did not endorse Pachauri’s complaint that he was victim of a conspiracy.

In fact, coming a day after environment minister Jairam Ramesh told media that India would be sending a minder to all meetings of the IPCC Bureau to accompany the panel chairman in his deliberations, the remark failed to dispel the perception that TERI has now a trust deficit to bridge.

Singh focused less on the individual or, for that matter, even the institution as he used the occasion to set the record straight on India’s position on Copenhagen Accord and the contentious negotiations before an audience that included heads of governments and climate negotiators. Pachauri, the global face of IPCC, has been attacked for the operations of his NGO, his chairmanship of the scientific panel as well as for personal integrity.

While the PM’s presence at the event was by itself a statement of support for the climate scientist, Singh chose the event to signal the hardening of India’s stance since Copenhagen meet.

The international community, present at DSDS, was more enthusiastic in its support for Pachauri, throwing its weight behind the scientist. Jean Charest, the Premier of Quebec, said, “I fully subscribe to the work done by Pachauri as an individual and IPCC as a body. The criticism levelled against them notwithstanding, the scientific findings are all in place.” The voices in support of Pachauri were not limited to the North American quarters. Even Norwegian President Jens Stoltenberg and Bhutanese PM Jigmey Thinley pledged support to IPCC’s findings on climate change. “Those who took delight in the criticism of the IPCC report missed the point. They take comfort in the minor details while forgetting the larger issues... It’s a finite world and we are extracting out of it to a point that we are destroying the planet,” said Thinley.

Adding that the IPCC’s findings were in place, Stoltenberg said, “Polar ice is melting, the globe in warming. Despite the criticism of IPCC, it would be irresponsible to not act on the overwhelming evidence before us.”