The government wants the negotiating team, headed by Jayanthi Natarajan, to hinge India's stance with the BASIC group in case of a split in the larger developing world bloc, G77+China. Else, Natarajan is to partner closely with the 137 country grouping.
The BASIC group comprises four emerging economies - Brazil, India, South Africa and China. In a first in their recent partnership, the four formally placed their demands before the global community at the ongoing climate talks.
India will push for an unconditional acceptance of the second phase of Kyoto Protocol by rich countries, which the EU has opposed vehemently. It requires the developed world to commit to binding emission reduction targets under the Kyoto Protocol- II after the first phase of the pact expires next year. It will not accept any quid pro quo for rich countries to undertake such targets. The EU has demanded that India and other emerging economies kick start discussions for a new single legal binding treaty before they even politically pledge to the Kyoto Protocol beyond 2012. Read the full report here.
Source: Subodh Ghildiyal & Nitin Sethi, TNN, New Delhi.
