Copenhagen:
Amidst last-minute negotiations to rescue the
Copenhagen climate summit, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh said the outcome will fall short of expectations and that
negotiations must continue.
From the Chinese premier Wen Jiabao to US President Barack Obama, all world leaders spoke of their commitment to change on the last day of the
summit in Copenhagen.
Prime Minister Manmohan Singh who along with China has been leading the cause of the developing countries today urged the rich nations to take responsibility and said that negotiations must continue.
Saying that India has a vital stake in the success of climate talks negotiations, the Prime Minister said the
Kyoto Protocol must continue as a legal framework.
Significantly, the PM also said that India will deliver on its goals regardless of the Copenhagen outcome.
Highlighting the imminent threat to small island nations, Singh said: "We must focus on injustice to small island states and developing nations."
Despite fading hopes of an agreement, Prime Minister's Special Envoy on climate change Shyam Saran said the Outcome document is still being worked upon and the crucial question is how we phrase the items that are up for further negotiations.
With no scope of a legally binding agreement, nations are now working upon an Outcome document that lists areas where there has been some success and also arrive at a mandate on how subsequent negotiations are going to take place. Sources have told NDTV that they will try and do a fast-track process, either by the middle or the end of next year, to remove the square brackets and have final answers.
However, there is little consensus over this Outcome document. The BASIC bloc of nations are upset over efforts to sneak in text at the last minute which, they say, may impact subsequent negotiations as countries would then begin on a backfoot.
'Won't accept no monitoring'
In a strong worded speech at the Bella center in Copenhagen, Obama saidthat emission cuts need to be monitored and that no country will geteverything it wants.
"Deal will be credible if it includes ways to monitor emissions," said Obama.
Sayingthat US bears responsibility to fight climate change Obama said that"
we are running short on time and if we choose delay we will be havingthe same arguments later".
The US president said that verification is necessary for more accountability.
Developed versus DevelopingEarlier on Friday, the BASIC bloc of nations went into a huddle on the sidelines of the summit raising questions about the divide between the developing and the developed world widening further.
Prime Minister Manmohan Singh made it clear that climate change cannot be addressed by perpetuating the poverty of developing countries.
Chinese premier Wen said China takes climate change "very seriously" and regards it as an important strategic task.
"The principle of common but differentiated responsibility must be adhered to, developed countries must honour their commitments," said Wen Jiabao.
Brazilian President Lula said there was disappointment with the way talks have progressed and no real document is likely to emerge. "Will need an angel to come down. Maybe a miracle will happen," he said.
India and China joined forces to try and ensure that developing nations are not forced to rubber stamp a draft that will sneak in proposals unacceptable to them.
Their concerns may not be unfounded since India and China were not invited to a meeting of a group of countries to discuss the political draft.
Amid the hard negotiations, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh met his Chinese counterpart Wen Jiabao to consolidate the position of developing countries.
During his meeting with Wen, Singh recalled that the two countries have been cooperating at various fora, including the G-20.
"We need to continue the cooperation," said the Prime Minister, who arrived in the Danish capital late last night to take part in the high-level segment UN climate talks.
Indications of an impasse in the talks came from Swedish Environment Minister Andreas Carlgren who said no agreed text had emerged ahead of the meeting of 110 world leaders.
India and China are the key members of the BASIC bloc - with others being Brazil and South Africa -- which along with other developing countries have been resisting attempts by the rich nations to set aside the 1997 Kyoto Protocol.
The protocol sets legally binding greenhouse gas emissions reduction targets for industrialised nations. It also has a strong compliance mechanism which penalises the rich nations if they do not meet emission reduction targets agreed upon by them.
In Pics:
Protestors march in Copenhagen