‘India determined not to let climate meet fail’

Ahead of key ministerial talks, India on Sunday said it is determined not to make the Paris climate meet like past summits where nations returned with “false optimism and fictitious hopes” and would ensure that rich countries pay back their “debt for overdraft” drawn on the carbon space.

The statement comes a day before the crucial high level segment gets underway where ministers of 195 countries will deliberate on the draft negotiating text which emerged yesterday to reach a final agreement to tackle the challenge of climate change.

Environment minister Prakash Javadekar, who arrived here to attend the high-level segment, said that although nations are “midway” in their journey to reach a new climate agreement, substance-wise it is “sometimes at crossroads” while hinting at the various unresolved issues which remain in the draft negotiating text.

Noting that the United Nations Framework Convention for Climate Change (UNFCCC) is a “fundamental global climate constitution”, India also made it clear that any attempt to rewrite or to overwrite will “not be acceptable”.

“We are at this time midway on our journey to reach new climate agreement, but substance-wise we are not midway but sometimes at crossroads. India is ready and committed to work with French presidency which has done a monumental job over the last one year to build political momentum,” Mr Javadekar said.

Noting that India will not let the Paris conference fail in reaching its objectives, Mr Javadekar said that the country will ensure that the seminal principle of Common But Differentiated Responsibilities (CBDR) is respected.

“India is also determined not to make Paris summit like past summits where we all returned home with false optimism and fictitious hopes. For India it is a question of present and future lives of our 1.27 billion people with aspirations to develop.

“We will not let this meeting fail to reach its objectives. India is here to ensure that seminal principle of CBDR is respected, and India is here to ensure that rich countries pay back their debt for overdraft that they have drawn on the carbon space,” Mr Javadekar said.

The text that was handed to ministers on Saturday still contains all the unresolved options on key issues at stake.

Observers have maintained that very little actual progress has been made in terms of compromises and agreements on the contentious points.

“The UNFCCC is a global climate constitution. It is fundamental. Any attempt to rewrite or to overwrite will not be acceptable to anybody. Our collective decision should be based on science, CBDR and collective conscience,” Mr Javadekar said.

After week long negotiations, contentious issues like financing by developed nations to developing ones to tackle the challenge of climate change, CBDR, access to technologies still remain on the table.