India slams parties to Copenhagen Accord

New Delhi, Feb 27 (PTI) India on Sunday slammed the US
and other parties to the Copenhagen Accord for failing to
deliver "fast track" financial obligations to Least Developed
Countries (LDCs) and other nations facing the risk of climate
change.
Indian Environment Minister Jairam Ramesh said the
United States and other parties to the Copenhagen Accord had
agreed to raise USD 30 billion for helping poor nations most
at risk of climate change.
"The continued inability to deliver on fast track
finance to my mind is a betrayal of the trust and the betrayal
of a grand bargain at Copenhagen," he told reporters after the
conclusion of Sixth BASIC Ministerial Meeting on Climate
Change here.
The BASIC nations are Brazil, South Africa, India and
China.
"USD 30 billion was the total commitment for 2010, 2011
and 2012. I would be surprised, if the total disbursement
exceeds two digits so far," Ramesh said at the joint press
conference attended by Vice Chairman of the National
Development and Reform Commission of China Xie Zhenhua,
Brazilian Environment Minister Izabella Monica Vieira Teixeira
and his South African counterpart Bomo Edith Edna Molewa.
The minister said the United States "includes 26 million
dollars funding to India" as part of the fast track funding
commitment.
"And today my Brazilian colleague gave me example of
how some funding for Brazil is included as part of the EU fast
track finance. Fast track finance must meet two conditions.
No.1 it must be new and additional. No 2, it must be to
Africa, small island states and LDCs," he said.
"I think this remains to my mind the single biggest
disappointment ever since the Copenhagen Accord was signed,"
Ramesh said. (MORE) PTI