Went to Copenhagen to protect national interest: Jairam Ramesh

New Delhi, Dec 22 (PTI) "I did not go to Copenhagen to
save the earth, I went there to protect India's national
interests."


Indian Environment Minister Jairam Ramesh said this when
asked whether the Copenhagen Accord would help regions
vulnerable to the threat posed by climate change.
He said the last-minute Accord, struck on Friday night,
was a very small step forward in tackling climate change and
was unlikely to save humanity in the short run.
Ramesh stressed that India would have to peak its
greenhouse gas emissions in the 21st Century or "there will
not be any 22nd Century".
"We have to see whether the Copenhagen Accord develops
into a mutant gene or gets integrated with the UN Framework
Convention on Climate Change," he said when asked how did he
see the Accord evolving.
On the contentious issue of internationally measurable,
reportable and verifiable (MRV) pledges by developing
countries, Ramesh said he was fully confident that India's
sovereignty had been retained on the matter.
He said the mitigation actions would be reported through
national communications and there was a provision for
international consultations and analysis on it.
The consultations and analysis would be done under
clearly defined guidelines that will ensure that national
sovereignty is respected, he said.
Ramesh said these guidelines will be within the UNFCCC.
PTI SKU
ANU


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