India, China have to resist pressure on climate change: PM
July 11th, 2009 - 11:56 am ICT by IANS
By Jaideep Sarin
On board Air India One, July 11 (IANS) India and China need to resist pressure from industrialised countries on the issue of climate change, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh said Saturday.
The developed countries are by far the biggest polluters of the environment since the start of the Industrial Age. Now some of them are asking India, China and other emerging economies to commit themselves to reducing greenhouse gas emissions to curb climate change.
Both countries are unwilling, saying this would hamper their development.
“There is a lot of pressure on India and China on the issue of climate change. We have to resist it. I have put India’s views on this before other countries (at the G8-G5 summit in Italy),” the prime minister said while returning from the G8-G5 summit in Italy.
“It is also quite clear that as citizens of global economy we have an obligation to do our bit to control emissions. Therefore, all countries have an obligation to depart from business as usual. We are quite alive to the dangers of climate change which is already taking place.
“We recognise our responsibilities by way of mitigation and adaptation. I presented India’s climate action plan — national mission — and we are willing to do more if there is arrangement to provide additional financial support as well as technology transfers from the developed to the developing countries to ensure clean, sustainable development can really become effective instrument for strengthening strategies for climate change,” Manmohan Singh said.
The G8 and G5 countries could not agree on the issue of climate change at the summit. While the G5 wanted the developed (G8) countries to commit to early reduction in emissions, 40 percent by 2020 and over 80 percent by 2050, the G8 countries were ready only to commit for 50 percent emission cuts by 2050.
With no consensus being reached on the issue of climate change at the L’Aquila summit, the leaders are hoping that a breakthrough will be made before or during the crucial UN summit on climate change to be held in Copenhagen this December.
- Climate change: developed countries unwilling to commit to 2020 targets - Jul 09, 2009
- India hopeful as G8 talks of green fund - Jul 10, 2009
- G8 non-committal on emission targets in L'Aquila declaration (Lead) - Jul 10, 2009
- Climate remains an issue as G8-G5 agree on UN reforms (Roundup) - Jul 10, 2009
- Obama, Manmohan cozy up at G8-G5 summit - Jul 09, 2009
- Manmohan Singh takes on developed world at G-5 summit - Jul 09, 2009
- Can the G8 live up to the climate challenge? - Jul 05, 2009
- Agriculture, food security should top global agenda: Manmohan - Jul 09, 2009
- German Chancellor meets Manmohan Singh at G8-G5 summit - Jul 10, 2009
- G8 and G5 leaders meet in Italy - Jul 09, 2009
- Leaders of G-5 countries meet in Italy - Jul 09, 2009
- G8-G5 summit: World powers accept warming limit - Jul 10, 2009
- Solve global issues keeping poor in mind: G5 tells G8 (Lead) - Jul 09, 2009
- Eurozone crisis may cloud Durban climate talks - Nov 13, 2011
- PM blames developed world for slowdown, climate change - Jul 07, 2009
Tags: air india, aquila, climate action, climate change, developed countries, emerging economies, emission cuts, g8 countries, global economy, greenhouse gas emissions, india china, industrialised countries, manmohan, manmohan singh, polluters, prime minister manmohan, prime minister manmohan singh, reducing greenhouse gas emissions, sarin, technology transfers
