India said on Tuesday that the climate change negotiations should focus on developed countries that started the problem and yet are reluctant to meet their commitments on emission reduction.
Minister of External Affairs S M Krishna was addressing a gathering of world leaders at the United Nations climate change summit.
At Roundtable Two -- one of the four simultaneous meetings at the conference -- a strongly worded statement by the minister said that the talks should focus on the developed countries who are reluctant to meet their commitments on emission reduction, let alone provide technological and financial support to developing countries.
"Instead, the onus for action is sought to be shifted on to developing countries, which have contributed little to the accumulation of greenhouse gasses and face the huge burden of adaptation. Protectionist trade and border tax response measures, which basically seek to protect their competitiveness, are being talked about in developed countries under the garb of climate change," he said.
Regarding financial resources for developing countries to mitigate emission, efforts are being made to ensure that its governance remains outside the UNFCCC and squarely in control of developed countries.
"There is a tide of change in world economic relations. Climate negotiations should not seek to stem this tide," the minister said.
India has a major interest in ensuring a substantive and constructive outcome in Copenhagen and it will be part of the solution, even though India has not caused the problem in any way, he added.
The outcome, Krishna said, must be rooted 'in equity' and it must respect the provisions and principles of the convention.
He said Copenhagen must also ensure that developing countries can pursue accelerated development so that they have the resources to cope and adapt to climate change.
According to Krishna, one cannot get away from the fundamental fact that unsustainable lifestyles and patterns of production and consumption in the developed world have caused climate change.
"This cannot continue. The way forward must ensure that developing countries can pursue growth and poverty eradication," he said.
