India hoping for substantive commitments at Copenhagen

New Delhi, Dec 7 (PTI) India Monday said it was hoping
for an outcome with "substantive and enforceable commitments"
at the Copenhagen climate meet which are "equitable and
supportive" of economic growth in developing nations.
"We remain hopeful of success at Copenhagen in
achieving an outcome, containing substantive and enforceable
commitments which are equitable and supportive of economic
growth, especially in developing countries," Indian External
Affairs Minister S M Krishna said while addressing the second
India-Africa Hydrocarbons Conference here.
Noting that the Prime Minister of India is
participating in the climate conference on climate change, he
said, "Let us hope that from the point of view of developing
countries, Copenhagen (conference) will be very helpful in
trying to come out with ideas and solutions, which will be
helpful for the development of developing countries."
Pointing out that India had conceived a broader
strategy for ensuring sustainable development while tackling
climate change, Krishna said, "Our objective is to bring about
changes in the kinds of energy we produce and consume, while
remaining mindful of our resources constraints, environmental
concerns and imperatives of economic development."
Danish Prime Minister Lars Loekke Rasmussen told the
opening ceremony that the world is looking to the conference
to safeguard the future of the mankind.
"For the next two weeks, Copenhagen will be Hopenhagen.
By the end, we must be able to deliver back to the world what
was granted us here today: hope for a better future."
Along with 15,000 delegates, more than 100 world leaders
including US President Barack Obama, Indian Prime Minister
Manmohan Singh and Chinese premier Wen Jiabao will attend the
12-day summit for which security has been beefed up.
Yvo de Boer, UNFCCC executive secretary, said there was
unprecedented political momentum to clinch an ambitious deal
but countries needed to negotiate harder.
"Time is up," de Boer said. "Over the next two weeks
nations have to deliver".
The first week of the conference will focus on the text
of a draft treaty. Major decisions may await arrival of the
environment ministers next week and the heads of state in the
final days of the meet, which ends on December 18.
As the first commitment period for greenhouse gas
emissions reductions, regulated by the Kyoto Protocol, would
expire in 2012, the international community would endeavour to
map out a plan for binding emissions cuts for the second
commitment period from 2012 to 2020 at Copenhagen.
Delegates must craft a blueprint for tackling manmade
"greenhouse" gases and put together a funding mechanism for
helping poor nations fight climate change.

Several draft treaties, including one submitted by
Brazil, South Africa, India and China (BASIC) group, are being
circulated among delegates here.
The BASIC draft proposes 40 to 45 per cent carbon
emission cuts by developed nations while a controversial
Danish proposal wants developing nations to commit a date by
which their emissions will peak.
The "peaking year" concept has been rejected by India
which puts it in the bracket of non-negotiables along with not
accepting any legally binding emission cuts.
Ahead of the summit, representatives of the G-77 group of
developing nations and China spent two days in a conference
room here, discussing their strategy for the meeting and
speculating on possible outcomes and their position on
specific issues.
Developing countries have maintained that given the fact
that emissions from industrialising developed nations over the
last century have been the primary cause of global warming,
they should shoulder greater responsibility for carbon cuts.
The conference must lead to actions for implementation by
"all parties, taking into account their common but
differentiated responsibilities," Pachauri said.
He hoped that the "historically important meeting" would
lead to action which is required "urgently". PTI B