Developing nations should do more to tackle climate change: European Union

NEW DELHI: The European Union today sought flexibity in a key principle in the climate change talks which says that the developed nations are more responsible in tackling the global warming as they are historical carbon emitters.

Seeking a change in the approach on CBDR (common but differentiated responsibilities) principle, visiting European Union Climate Action Commissioner Connie Hedegaard said that "the world is changing" and the developing countries, which are on the path of progress through the route of industrialisation, should also do as much as possible for tackling climate change.

"The way we so far discussed it ... developed countries must commit others (developing nations), they can commit if they want to... We just need to adjust the way we talk about CBDR," she told reporters here.

"We believe we have to change the way we see common but differentiated responsibility," Hedegaard said about the principle of international environmental law establishing that all states are responsible for addressing global environmental destruction yet not equally responsible.

"... If you look around the world of today, and there you will find some countries which have had an enormous growth since 1992. Some of them even will surpass the GDP per capita we have in Europe... the world is changing," she said.

The top EU official's statement is unlikely go down well with developing economies like India and China.

In their recent meeting, environment ministers of BASIC nations, a strong climate platform of developing nations including Brazil, South Africa, India and China, had reaffirmed that the process and outcome of the Durban Platform for Enhanced Action must be in full accordance with all the principles, provisions and structure of the convention, in particular the principles of equity and common but differentiated responsibilities and respective capabilities.