Copenhagen Summit Would Be ‘Dead End’ if Danish Draft Put Forward: Ramesh

Union Environment Minister Jairam Ramesh has said that if a Danish draft proposal urging the world to adopt 2020 as the year when emissions will peak is put forward, global climate change talks in Copenhagen on December 5 would be at a ‘dead end’.

“If the Denmark draft is any indication then we are heading to a dead end. The draft, which is not based on realistic estimations, is totally unacceptable to us,” Ramesh said.

Ruling out accepting binding emission cuts, the minister said that major emerging economies like China, South Africa and Brazil had formulated their own draft in Beijing to counter the Danish draft.

“This is more into what our expectations and objectives are,” Ramesh said.

“It is yet to get the support of the G-77. It will be unveiled tomorrow at the Copenhagen, giving our side of the view and our non-negotiable position.”

Ramesh, who returned from a two-day visit to China lately, along with counterparts from Brazil and South Africa, inked a 10-page draft which is being conceived as a counter to the text that will be released by western countries next week as a possible basis for talks at the meet scheduled to commence on December 7.

“It meets our expectations and aspirations and supports our non-negotiable stands of no binding emission cuts, mitigation and adaptation actions to be supported by the international fund and no peaking year to be declared at the international forum,” the minister said.

While talking to a news channel, Ramesh reiterated India’s position, adding that the current Danish draft which seeks emissions of all developing countries peak by 2025, was simply unacceptable to BASIC countries.

“Brazil, South Africa, India and China met in Bejing over the weekend. There was a draft of Copenhagen which had been out that had been prepared. We commented on it, discussed it, and now had an agreed draft between the four countries. The chairman of the G-77, Sudan, was also present. And we hope and expect that this draft will serve as the basis for negotiation,” Ramesh said.