Developed world must walk the talk: India

On the eve of the crucial climate change summit, India on Sunday said the developed world must walk the talk and pledged to strive for a balanced, just and equitable agreement to limit global warming.

As nearly 150 world leaders including Prime Minister Narendra Modi gather to try to craft a long-term deal to limit carbon emissions, environment minister Prakash Javadekar said the principle of equity must encompass all aspects of the 2015 climate agreement.

Mr Javadekar said India is approaching the conference with a positive mindset and that it is not thinking in terms of opposing anything, while hammering out practical solutions to reduce global warming.

India will not be opposing but it will be proposing real changes needed to ensure there is balanced growth and balanced environment, he said, adding, there should be a durable agreement and a need to trust each other.

The goal of the summit that is tasked with reaching the first truly universal climate pact is to limit average global warming to two degrees celsius over pre-Industrial Revolution levels by curbing fossil fuel emissions. The minister also made a strong case for developed countries to provide carbon space to developing countries.

Stating that the developed world is using two-third of carbon space available, Mr Javadekar said providing carbon space to developing countries is in favour of earth, developing countries and developed world itself. Developed world should walk the talk, he said. The minister said every climate action has a cost and the world must think as to who would pay the cost for new technologies. He said measues to de-carbonise or being carbon neutral depends on the availability of technology. No one wants carbon footprints, he added.

Mr Javadekar also described as unfair, unfortunate and untrue US Secretary of State John Kerry’s recent concerns over India’s pace of climate change action.

Mr Kerry in an interview with a leading international business daily had recently warned that India could be a “challenge” at Paris talks.

“We’ve got a lot of focus on India right now to try to bring them along. India has been more cautious, a little more restrained in its embrace of this new paradigm, and it’s a challenge,” he was quoted as saying.

Ahead of the summit, more than 175 countries, including India, have tabled pledges (known as intended nationally determined contributions, or INDCs) to cut their carbon emissions which, if enacted, would be enough to limit global warming to 2.7 degrees C. But the United Nations has pledged to limit climate change to 2 degrees C and would much prefer it to be 1.5 degrees C.