Climate change: India urges rich nations to increase support to developing countries

NEW DELHI: As leaders from the world over gather in New York for the UN Climate Summit, India has asked the developed nations to work towards further reducing their greenhouse gas emissions and enhance their support to developing countries so that they are on a better footing post 2020.

"Annex I Parties should increase their pre-2020 ambitions, first, with a view to setting the ambitious starting point and reference level for determining their post-2020 contributions," Environment Minister Prakash Javadekar said during the Major Economies Forum meeting in New York.

Annexe I Parties include the industrialised nations which were members of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development ( OECD) in 1992 along with countries of economies in transition ( EIT Parties), which include Russian Federation, the Baltic States and several Central and Eastern European states.

Speaking strongly on behalf of developing nations in the meeting, Javadekar asked the developed countries to continue with their commitment to providing financial and technological support to the former.

"Annex II parties should make their domestic preparations, in particular on their commitments on finance and technology support to developing countries in addition to their commitments on emission reductions," he said.

Annex II Parties consist of the OECD members of Annex I, but not the EIT Parties.

Javadekar said that developing nations' intended nationally determined contributions (INDCs) will be "nationally determined" and their ambition levels will depend on the extent of the finance, technology and capacity-building support from Annex II Parties.

"For non-Annex I Parties (developing nations), 'nationally determined' contributions with respect to adaptation, mitigation, finance, technological support, capacity building, and sustainable development would reflect the diversity of their respective national development conditions and circumstances.

"It should also take into account the fact that their main priority is socio-economic development and poverty eradication, as recognised in the Convention," Javadekar added.

The UN Climate Summit is being hosted by UN Secretary- General Ban Ki-Moon.