PM to take part in Copenhagen meet

New Delhi: Prime Minister Manmohan Singh will take part in the last leg of the Copenhagen Summit on climate change on December 18. He will begin his two-day visit on December 17.

The announcement by the Prime Minister’s Office on Saturday comes closely on the heels of the government pledging to cut its emission intensity voluntarily and unilaterally by 20-25% by 2020 on a baseline of 2005. The PM’s decision also comes in the backdrop of several world leaders, including US President Barack Obama and French President Nicolas Sarkozy, urging him to be present in Copenhagen considering India’s position on the issue.

The concluding high-level segment of the two-week talks beginning Monday will be attended by delegates from 190 countries and several heads of state, including Obama and China’s Hu Jintao.

Singh’s announcement has been hailed by both the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) and Indian climate change thought leaders. “An additional head of state joining the summit is a good sign. It increases the chances of reaching a comprehensive deal. India’s role is extremely important,” UNFCCC spokesperson John Hay told FE.

According to Nitin Desai, a member of the Prime Minister’s Council on Climate Change, “India has a good story to tell about its achievements and plans in fighting climate change. It’s a positive step that the Prime Minister has decided to go. It increases the chances of reaching a global deal.”

India has also indicated it is willing to do more if there is a comprehensive and equitable climate change agreement and the international community extends support to it. At the same time, India has emphasised it won’t accept any legally binding emission reduction targets or peaking year for emissions, environment and forests minister Jairam Ramesh told the Lok Sabha on Thursday.

The fate of the climate change agreement depends upon the resolution of contentious issues like emission cuts commitment by industrialised countries.

While developing economies have been calling upon industrialised counterparts to commit to emission cuts of 40% by 2020, as desired by the IPCC (Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change), the latter have so far indicated willingness to only 14-18% reduction by 2020 on a baseline of 1990.

Funding support and transfer of clean technology from industrialised to developing countries to fight climate change are other issues threatening to hold up the talks.

Most heads of state are expected to join the talks on the two concluding days. The UN-led...