Thaindian News

Durban, Dec 8 (IANS) India’s stand at the UN climate talks in Durban has been getting negative reviews from the foreign media, especially European, with New Delhi being seen as a deal breaker for a new climate agreement.

Since the start of ministerial level negotiations from Monday, India has been projected to be on board with the US in denying a legally binding regime to save the planet.

Interestingly, China is being seen as a flexible nation following its proposal to take conditional legally binding cuts post-2020.

According to BBC, the US, India, China and Brazil are among those likely to oppose parts of the solution sought by the European Union and the majority of developing countries.

“Most nations appear to want a strong deal - but the exceptions are some of the world’s most powerful countries,” the BBC said.

Keeping it more vocal, the Guardian wrote: “India dampens Europe’s hope of a new climate agreement.”

The London-based paper said that of the BASIC (Brazil, South Africa, China and India) quartet, India rejected the EU’s proposal of a single legally binding agreement by 2015.

“China has been ambiguous on whether it will support the EU, while Brazil said it was still in discussions. South Africa’s president referred to the roadmap in his speech but did not commit to it,” the paper said.

John Vidal, Guardian Correspondent, said India this time has been taking a tough stand and not showing any flexibility.

“It has both positive and negative connotations. On positive side, it’s good and India has managed to gets its demand of equity - right to grow - in the new negotiation draft but, on the other hand, it is seen as a bad boy,” Vidal told IANS.

He thinks it has something to do with the body language of Indian Environment Minister Jayanthi Natarajan. “Unlike your former minister Jairam Ramesh who was more vibrant, she is very direct and tough in her approach,” he says.

Some foreign journalists feel that there is a role reversal among China and India. “In the last two meetings, India was more flexible but this year China has shown a lot of flexibility. India is now being seen as cornered with the US, who does not want to show any commitment,” said a BBC journalist.

Reuters wrote that the world’s three biggest polluters China, the United States and India refused to move towards a new legal commitment to curb their carbon emissions, increasing the risk that climate talks will fail to clinch a meaningful deal this week.