India urges rich to take lead in climate fight
By Sugita Katyal
NUSA DUA, Indonesia (Reuters) - India urged rich countries on Wednesday to take the lead in cutting greenhouse gases, saying it cannot accept binding targets in any U.N. deal on combating climate change because of its economic needs.
India, with more than a billion people, is the world's fourth largest emitter behind the United States, China and Russia and is projected to account for a rising share of global carbon emissions as it burns more fuel to try to end poverty.
Despite pressure from industrialized nations and environmental groups to curb emissions, India is not required under the Kyoto Protocol to curb emissions, said to be rising annually by 2-3 percent.
"It is up to the developed world to assist developing countries, including India. We are not ripe enough to make any binding commitments. We are a developing country," N.N. Meena, junior environment minister, said at U.N. climate talks in Bali.
The 190-nation climate change talks in Indonesia's resort island of Bali are aimed at agreeing to start two years of talks to agree a new treaty to succeed Kyoto and involve all nations in a fight against global warming from 2013.
Poor nations want rich countries to do more before they agree and negotiators are working hard on a formula to draw in the developing world, particularly India and China.
"We are concerned at the attempts to create a new framework, which may result in the dilution of specific and timebound commitments on emission reductions by developed countries. This should not be allowed to happen," India's science and technology minister, Kapil Sibal, said in Bali.
"Bali needs to send out strong messages. Without doubt the most important one should be that the negotiations under the Kyoto Protocol for quantified, time bound and substantial greenhouse gas reductions by developed countries post-2012 will be completed by 2009."
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