Re: Global Warming, Indian Views: Sid Harth
chhotemianinshallah
Agencies
Posted: Tuesday , Dec 22, 2009 at 1347 hrs
New Delhi:
'I don't think we should read much between the lines.'
Dismissing the US claims that India's domestic climate actions can be
challenged, top environmentalist R K Pachauri made it clear on Tuesday
that there was no power granted to America in the Copenhagen accord
for such interference.
The Chairman of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC)
was reacting to White House senior advisor David Axelrod's remark that
the climate accord allows US to not only unilaterally review India's
progress but also challenge the country if it failed to meet its
domestic climate targets.
Pachauri rejected the observation as an attempt by the Obama
administration to "win domestic favour" and categorically stated that
"there is no provision in the accord for such interference."
"What they (Obama aides) are trying is essentially to convince the
Senators that they would be able to pressure China and India on
climate actions. I think they want to project that only because they
want to get passage of the bill (Cap and Trade Bill related to carbon
emission) that has been introduced in the Senate. Apart from that, I
don't think we should read much between the lines," he said.
Pachauri also maintained that there was no pressure on India
"otherwise we would have been accepting monitoring, reporting and
verification which is what the US wanted to start with (at the
Copenhagen Summit).”
"We (India) clearly resisted with that and I think that language in
limited, non binding agreement is very clear. It talks about
consultation and analysis. And how can they (US) challenge us on that
or for that matter China or any other country which has supported the
accord," Pachauri said.
In fact, the consultation and analysis applies to all the countries
including the US, he said. Axelrod had said, "Now China and India have
set goals combating climate change. We are going to be able to review
what they are doing. We are going to be able to challenge them if they
do not meet those goals."
The US official's remark had invited sharp criticism from the
Opposition which attacked the government for compromising with India's
concerns on emission cuts at the Danish capital.
http://www.indianexpress.com/news/us-cant-interfere-in-indias-domestic-climate-actions/557787/0
...and I am Sid Harth