India to US: Won’t take binding emission limit

The minister said this at a joint press conference with US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton after she toured the ITC Green Building here which showcases environment-friendly practices in India.

The US wants India to agree to limit its carbon emissions ahead of the signing of a new UN climate treaty in Copenhagen in December.

Clinton pointed out that India’s green house gas pollution was projected to grow by about 50 per cent between now and 2030 and the country was vulnerable to climate change.

However,she said the US did not and would not do anything that would limit India’s economic progress.

Ramesh underlined India’s stand that its GHG emissions would never exceed those of developed nations. He said India was firmly anchored in the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change and the Bali Action Plan.

“You can take a look at the track record of India. Once we have adopted an international obligation,we have never reneged on that,” Ramesh said.

Clinton said India and the US could jointly devise a breakthrough plan for fighting climate change that would generate massive new investments and millions of jobs.

After her discussion with Indian officials,she believed that there were paths forward that would get the two countries on a sustainable approach globally to mitigate and decrease GHG emissions.

“I am very confident that the US and India can devise a plan that will dramatically change the way we produce,consume and conserve energy and in the process spark an explosion of new investment and millions of jobs,” Clinton said.