Won't accept emission commitments under int'l duress: Ramesh

New Delhi, Apr 9 (PTI) Making it clear that India
would not succumb to international pressure on any legally
binding commitments to reduce carbon emission, Environment
Minister of India Jairam Ramesh Saturday said government will
only act in national interest on the issue, including ensuring
that the economic growth trajectory remains unaffected.
"I can assure you we are not taking on any legally
binding commitments under international duress. We should take
on commitments only because it is in our interest," he said at
a Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) function here.
At the same time, he said, "What may reflect
internationally will be dependent on what other countries are
prepared to give as far as their commitments are concerned".
Asserting that India should negotiate from its
position of strength and take a leadership role, Ramesh said
the international community should rather focus on their own
carbon emission levels instead of lecturing countries like
India which is "moving along low carbon growth path".
"When India goes for negotiations, I have three
objectives in mind. The first is to maintain the autonomy of
the economic growth trajectory...to protect the autonomy of 9
per cent growth path, to enhance our own environmental agenda
like green growth, less pollutions and lastly re-position
India diplomatically as a constructive problem solver," he
said addressing captains of Indian industry.
He said that in line with its own strategic interest,
India has to take the developing world on board on the issue
and at the same time engage developed world.
"We are the bridge player in many of these cases. So
it is a fine balancing act", he said.
Later talking to reporters, he regretted that the
funds pledged to the Fast Start Finance Fund to the tune of
USD 25 billion to combat carbon emission have only remained on
paper.
The fund was meant for Africa and other least
developed countries and the island nations with countries like
India voluntarily giving up their claim to it, he said, adding
the long term green fund of UDS 100 billion also proved to be
a non-starter.
"We are back to square one. I don't know where the
climate talks are headed right now," he said.
To the corporate sector, he suggested the need to take
on environmental issue "far more seriously" than it has in the
past as it is related to public health and climate change.
The issue has to be embedded into the thinking process
and "intrinsic" to business and growth process, he said.