CLIMATE-INDIA 2 LST

Saran said the G20 Summit was not a negotiating forum
for discussing climate change issues which is expected to be
thrashed out in the Copenhagen Summit in December.

"The sole negotiating forum for climate change is the
UNFCCC. Nevertheless, a strong political message from the G20
leaders that they are committed to a comprehensive, balanced
and above all an equitable outcome in Copenhagen, would have
favourably impact on the negotiations," the Special Envoy
said.

Saran said the Major Economies Forum meeting in
Washington agreed that there was need to place greater
emphasis than hitherto on adaptation to climate
change by developing countries for which both financial
resources and technology transfers would be required.

It was also felt that emphasis should be on energy
efficiency, solar energy, wind power, smart grids, carbon
capture and storage and clean coal technologies.

Replying to questions whether India would undertake
reduction of subsidies on energy pricing and whether a time
frame could be set for that, he said while as a policy,
rationalisation of energy pricing was certainly welcome, the
government can’t take measures that could harm the poor 400
millions of whom do not have access to energy. PTI