Agreeing to agree

After much will-he-won’t-he suspense,it turns out that Prime Minister Manmohan Singh will attend the final stages of the Copenhagen summit which starts today. Barack Obama and Wen Jiabao have also confirmed their attendance. Why does their presence matter so crucially?  Because it has been understood for a while now that Copenhagen will not throw up a “legally binding” clincher; thus,the best that can be hoped for is an agreement on a roadmap to a legally binding agreement at some unspecified future point,probably next year. In other words,Copenhagen is expected to carve out a never-before international “political agreement” — and for such an agreement to carry any weight in the world,it must be solidly backed up by important heads of state.

Copenhagen — or more precisely,COP15 (the 15th Conference of Parties),attended by 193 nations — is likely to be a long and arduous haul. Starting today with negotiators’ meetings,and then moving on to ministerial-level discussions,it will be capped by the world leaders meeting on December 18. Over the course of the summit,there is likely to be much friction as different nations strike off each other to get the best deal domestically. However,they must remember that public opinion will watch for the outcome. This should not be an arena where countries clash with cardboard swords to impress the folks back home — it must be undertaken with the awareness that coming to a common,consensual workplan is absolutely vital.  Unlike trade talks,much more stagey,and where one dramatic exit doesn’t really scupper global economic integration,the Copenhagen climate summit is a much more sensitive,delicate affair. It tests the very possibility of international collaboration around a contentious and difficult set of measures that are nonetheless imperative to our security and survival. So while walking out in a huff might be emotionally satisfying,India must be extremely careful in how it deploys that threat.

The Lok Sabha debate showed how political opinion here has begun to coalesce around climate action and India’s responsibilities. Our negotiators must translate all that parliamentary support offered to the government into a meaningful agreement that we can all live with.