Communist Party of India (Marxist) MP, Sitaram Yechury, who was part of the Indian parliamentary delegation to Copenhagen, on Monday charged the government with “shifting goalposts” on climate change at the summit, saying clauses in the accord went against the assurances made by it in Parliament.
The clauses in the accord, particularly those relating to ‘consultation and analysis’ of emission cuts voluntarily announced by India and some other countries, “go against the assurances” made by Environment Minister Jairam Ramesh in Parliament, CPI(M) Politburo member Mr. Yechury told PTI.
Accusing the government of “shifting goalposts” on the issue, he said there was no clarity in the accord on this issue as it was open to different interpretations.
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The accord “is deeply ambiguous with several loopholes and the possibility of different interpretations, particularly with regard to emission cuts by developing countries, and fund and technology transfers,” Mr. Yechury said.
While the developing world wanted 35-40 per cent emissions cut by developed countries, the accord seeks only 20-25 per cent, he said, adding that the interests of 80 per cent of the world population have been “compromised“.
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The Communist Party of India (CPI) said the will of the U.S. prevailed over the accord as it did not have any binding emission cut target on the developed world.
Rajya Sabha is likely to debate a statement by Mr. Ramesh on the Copenhagen Summit tomorrow.
“Whether it is George Bush or Barack Obama, the narrow self-interests of America must prevail over the interests of the world community. The apprehensions of all poor nations that ultimately a deal will be imposed by the US has proved correct. It is a sorry spectacle of succumbing to U.S. pressure,” the CPI Central Secretariat said in a statement.
The accord “does not lay down any binding target for the rich industrialised countries beyond 2012 as demanded by the Kyoto Protocol which the U.S. has all along refused to ratify. Their attempt now is to kill the Kyoto Protocol.”
The CPI said there was neither any agreement over technology transfer nor any commitment for additional financial resources to fund adaptation and mitigation in the developing countries.
Political leaders failed their people: CPI(M)
The CPI(M) Politburo, in a statement earlier, had said “the political leaders who gathered in Copenhagen have failed their people by not delivering an effective and equitable climate change agreement.”
The party said it had warned the government that unilateral cuts before negotiations without similar conditional cuts by developed world, would not yield results. “This is indeed what has happened.”
It asked the government to ensure that in future negotiations, “the red lines committed by the government in Parliament are adhered to”.