India, China to hold joint workshop on climate change

The decision to hold the workshop ahead of the Copenhagen summit on climate change in December has been taken in view of the National Action Plans drawn by both the countries on almost similar lines such as energy efficiency, renewable energy and sustainable development. Experts from both countries will deliberate and share ideas on their plans, policy and action on mitigation, forests, adaptation and progress in climate change science.

The event will also create an opportunity for a bilateral meeting between Environment Minister Jairam Ramesh and his Chinese counterpart Xie Zhenhua, according to a statement from the ministry. The meeting would discuss domestic initiatives, issues in multilateral negotiations (mitigation, adaptation, technology transfer and finance) and outlook for the Copenhagen meeting.

India and China have a similar position that developed nations need to do more than developing nations to fight climate change as per Kyoto Protocol because they were historically responsible for the problem.

The emerging superpowers in the sub-continent will also ink a pact on cooperation in various sectors such as technology development, renewable energies, forests and clean coal to address climate change, the statement added.

China and the US each account for about 20 per cent of the world's greenhouse gas pollution from coal, natural gas and oil. The European Union is responsible for 14 per cent, followed by Russia and India at 5 per cent each.