Won't accept binding climate commitment until India, China: US

Lalit K Jha
Washington, Dec 15 (PTI) The US has said it would not
undertake legally binding commitment on emission cuts until it
is done symmetrically by fast developing countries like India
and China.
"It's not so much that we're calling on China or India
to make legally binding commitments right now. What we're
saying is we will do legally binding commitments only if they
are symmetrical, if the emerging market countries do that
also," Special US Envoy on Climate Change, Todd Stern told
reporters at a news briefing, his first after the recent
Cancun Climate Change Conference.
The US position on China is that it needs to make
significant reductions in its emissions, he said.
"But for China or other developing countries, at this
stage those are going to be relative reductions. Those are
going to be reductions against the so-called business-as-
usual path that they would be on," he noted.
Stern also hailed India for its role in bringing
solutions to difficult issues at the recently concluded UN
climate change conference while remaining "faithful" to its
own national interests. PTI