Asserting that equity has to be centre piece of climate talks, India has slammed developed nations for not doing enough to combat global warming as it made an emotional appeal for space for basic development for its 1.2 billion people and poverty eradication. Environment Minister Jayanthi Natarajan told delegates from 194 countries at the climate change conference in Bonn that India, which is being seen as deal-breaker for not agreeing to a legally binding treaty, was not holding up the climate talks.
India along with US and China is under pressure to accept a legally binding treaty proposed by the EU, which would be signed by 2015 and come into force by 2020. Mrs. Natarajan's strong words received huge applause and a standing ovation.
She said that India was asking for space for basic development for its people and poverty eradication and this was not an unreasonable demand.