Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh says India supports the Copenhagen Accord and will take it forward. He said the accord is a catalogue of voluntary commitments and not a negotiated set of legal obligations. Addressing 10th Delhi Sustainable Development Summit in New Delhi today, Dr. Manmohan Singh said, India will participate in the climate negotiations in a spirit of flexibility. Dr. Singh said, it is in this spirit that New Delhi and other BASIC countries have conveyed their respective voluntary mitigation actions to the UNFCC by the 31st of last month. India has pledged to reduce emission intensity by 20 to 25% of the GDP by 2020. He said the lack of consensus on the issue is a great barrier in reaching an agreement on climate change. Dr. Singh asserted that there has to be a consensus in the crucial areas of Science of Climate Change and common but differentiated responsibility of green house gas emissions. The Prime Minister said the aim of the recent meeting of the BASIC countries of Brazil, China, South Africa and India was to carry forward the positive and constructive role played by the four countries at Copenhagen.<br/><br/>Dr Singh said the developed countries have to contribute their bit in dealing with climate change and for developing countries it has to be combined with their central developmental goals. He noted BASIC countries are keen to contribute with other G-77 nations to a comprehensive, balanced and above all equitable outcome in Mexico.<br/><br/>Dr Singh said the small and least developed countries and island nations deserve special attention and New Delhi will extend all support to them. He cautioned that climate action that delays or makes it more difficult the basic task of poverty eradication will be more difficult to implement. The Prime Minister said that developing countries recognize that a different model of growth than that of developed countries has to be adopted.<br/><br/>The Prime Minister said India has set up an expert group to prepare a strategy on a low carbon economy and the group will work out a holistic approach that takes on board the concerns of all stakeholders. Dr Singh said New Delhi also launched an ambitious national mission on enhanced energy efficiency<br/><br/><br/><br/>
News On AIR | February 5, 2010 6:41 PM
India supports Copenhagen Accord, pledges to take it forward