India: Climate deal can't sacrifice poor nations

India: Climate deal can't sacrifice poor nations

Posted: Oct 22, 2009 2:37 PM Updated: Oct 22, 2009 5:52 PM

 

By RAVI NESSMAN
Associated Press Writer

NEW DELHI (AP) - Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh said Thursday that the world's poor nations will not sacrifice their development in negotiations for a new climate change deal.

The issue of how to share the burden of fighting global warming has divided the developing and industrialized worlds as they prepare to negotiate a replacement to the 1997 Kyoto Protocol at a December summit in Copenhagen.

"Developing countries cannot and will not compromise on development," Singh told a conference on technology and climate change.

However, even poorer countries need to "do our bit to keep our emissions footprint within levels that are sustainable and equitable," he said.

Developing countries argue that the industrial world produced most of the harmful gases and should bear the costs of fixing the problem. Wealthy nations say all countries - including growing polluters India and China - have to agree to broad cuts in emissions.

India and China agreed Wednesday to stand together on climate change issues at the Copenhagen meeting. The two nations agreed to work on slowing the growth of greenhouse gas emissions, but resisted making those limits binding and subject to international monitoring.

Developing countries want financial aid for their climate change efforts, and Singh said wealthy nations have an obligation to ensure they get access to new, clean technology that will cut emissions and increase energy efficiency.

"We need technology solutions that are appropriate, affordable and effective," he said.

Meanwhile, Maldives President Mohammed Nasheed warned that developing nations would bear the brunt of environmental catastrophes caused by global warming and insisted that a new deal was essential.

"On the issue of climate change, there is no room for compromise, no deals, no half measures. Radical change is what's required," Nasheed told the conference.

Nasheed has become a leading voice on the issue of global warming, with his low-lying nation of island atolls in danger of being swamped by rising sea levels.

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