JOIN USThe union environment and forests minister Jairam Ramesh’s statement at the recently concluded Cancun conference that “all countries must accept legally binding commitments on carbon emissions in some appropriate legal form” has opened a crack in India’s negotiating positions on climate change issues. There was no major headway on substantive issues at the Cancun meet and the outcome was only an agreement, welcome certainly, to continue the multilateral process which was under threat in Copenhagen. So there was no danger of testing out the new Indian stance against specific proposals. But in the coming months India may have to pay the price for the softening of its long-established position that it will not accept any legally binding commitments to reduce carbon emissions.
There was a national consensus and parliament’s authority behind India’s consistent policy that it would not accept any binding commitments. It did not lie in the minister’s power or brief to deviate from that. Ramesh has tried to justify the shift with the argument that it did not mean a U-turn but only a ‘nuancing’ of the position. But the nuance goes against the basis of the Indian case. At this stage of India’s industrial development it can not accept any binding constraints that would slow down economic growth and lead to international monitoring of its compliance with obligations to limit emissions. Developed countries who are responsible for heating up the planet should cut down their emissions, finance the efforts of poor countries to undo the damage and transfer clean technologies to them. This was the spirit of the Kyoto protocol and the basic thrust of the negotiations to extend the commitment period beyond 2012.
The preparations for the shift in position may have started last year when it was stated that India wanted to be part of the solution and not the problem. It is argued that India would face isolation if it did not show flexibility in its positions and accommodation with other countries. But these cannot be at the expense of national interests. The purported pressure from Brazil or South Africa and from small island nations should not lead the country to a dilution of its position. While the consequences of climate change will affect all countries, countries like India and China, which have large populations and big economies will have to pay a higher price than others for shackling development. India should not allow itself to be pressured or bought off.