Having junked multilateralism to stitch a climate deal at Copenhagen with a select group of countries, the government is likely to expect a tough time in Parliament on Tuesday trying to explain some of the provisions in the Copenhagen accord, especially those relating to international verification of voluntary actions taken by India on climate change.
By agreeing to allow ?international consultations and analysis? of its domestic actions, the government has opened itself to charges of acquiescing to pressure from rich countries, especially from the United States.
India had been maintaining that it would not allow any international scrutiny or ?review? of its actions on climate change except for those that were supported by finance and technology from the developed countries. But the phrase used in the accord is open for different interpretations.
The opposition parties have already started gunning for the government for agreeing to this deal with both the Left and the BJP criticising the manner in which it was arrived at and the provisions it entails.
They would find some vindication in their stand from the statement of David Axelrod, a senior White House advisor, who said in Washington that the United States would not only ?review? the implementation of domestic actions by India and China but also ?challenge? them if the stated goals are not met.
?Now, China, India have set goals. We are going to be able to review what they are doing. We are going to be able to challenge them if they do not meet those goals,? Axelrod was reported as having told CNN on Sunday.
The official view from the Indian government is obviously different. After striking the deal, it maintained that ?international consultations and analysis? was different from review, and that no foreign country would be allowed to scrutinise actions that the government takes purely on a voluntary basis.
?What we are saying that in case the international community needs any clarification on our actions, like more information about the data or the methodology of measuring them, we are ready to do that. We are completely transparent about that. But we would not allow any reassessment of data and we don?t want any other countries telling us that our actions are insufficient to achieve the global goals on reducing greenhouse gas emissions,? environment minister Jairam Ramesh said.
Meanwhile, Germany?s director general of foreign policy and security advisor Christoph Heusgen on Monday called on national security advisor MK Narayanan and the two are learnt to have discussed the implications of Copenhagen accord for their respective countries.
