Pak ready for alliance with India on climate change agenda

New Delhi, Sept 6 (PTI) Despite differences on various
other issues, Pakistan has expressed its readiness to forge
alliance with India on the climate change agenda to keep off
the developed nations from thursting their green house gas
emission standards on the developing nations.

"I think yes, the kind of commonalties in our
international positions that one saw in a lot of things in the
WTO would probably be extended to areas of environment and
climate change also. So, I see a strong possibility of
cooperation," Pakistan Commerce Secretary Suleman Ghani said.

Ghani, who was here for the WTO mini-ministerial talks,
also noted that trade in South Asia had been affected by the
"historical" baggage which the countries of the region should
shed. He was hopeful on the composite dialogue between the two
countries on the issues that threaten common interests.

The statement which has come ahead of the UN Summit on
climate change at Copenhagen in December is a major show of
unity as developing countries face pressures from developed
nations to accept binding cut on green house gas emissions.

A recent study has warned that there were chances of
decline in irrigated wheat yield in the semi-arid areas of
Pakistan in the range of nine to 30 per cent for a temperature
increase of one degree C to four degrees C.

Climate change is also expected to result in changes in
land and water resources that will subsequently affect
agriculture productivity. PTI AJ
SDE