The talks, which kicked off on November 28, will be on till December 9.
The Jayanthi Natarajan-led delegation does not have many old hands either. For Natarajan, this will be the first exposure to the annual “conference of parties" (COP), while environment secretary T Chatterjee is attending his first COP as team leader. Last year, he was part of the team led by outgoing secretary Vijai Sharma. Among veterans are JM Mauskar, special secretary and RR Rashmi, joint secretary. Mauskar and Rashmi have been part of the delegation for several years.
The ministry too has witnessed a difference in styles between Natarajan and her predecessor Jairam Ramesh. “Ramesh handled everything on his own while Natarajan follows a cooperative approach by taking the ministry with her for the talks. She takes advice from everyone and then takes a conservative view," said a ministry official.
But such is the sensitivity that no one outside the government including sectoral think tanks were willing to go on record on the change in the composition. Between Cancun and Durban, India's stance has undergone a change too, with Natarajan taking a more hawkish line.
While Ramesh departed from his prepared Cancun text last year saying India was ready for legally binding emission cuts - a move the country has since vehemently resisted - Natarajan has clearly stated that issues of trade, adaptation and equitable access will have to be sorted out first. Read the full report here.
Source: Kirtika Suneja, Financial Express, New Delhi.
