Jairam criticised by party colleague on climate commitment

NEW DELHI: Environment minister Jairam Ramesh was on Friday criticised by his party colleague and predecessor Saifuddin Soz for offering to accept legally-binding responsibilities with regard to emission cuts, saying it was a "wrong" thing to do.

Soz underlined that India could not accept legally-binding emission and Ramesh should have rather pursued the US to make such a commitment as it continues to be the largest polluter in the world.

"Instead of telling the US firmly to come forward and accept commitments on legally-binding responsibilities, Ramesh has offered that India will accept the legally-binding commitments on emission cuts. This is essentially wrong," the Congress leader said.

He was commenting on Ramesh's announcement at the ongoing Conference of Parties (CoP) at Cancun yesterday that "all countries must take on a binding commitment under an appropriate legal form", which has already earned the minister the wrath of Opposition parties like BJP and Left.

Soz noted that the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) stipulates that the cutting of carbon emissions is a common but differentiated responsibility for developed and the developing world.

He pointed out that India is already doing a lot to cut emissions through voluntary initiatives and there was no need to accept legally-binding commitments.

Taking on the developed world, Soz said, "The US continues to be the largest emitter of greenhouse gases but still has not ratified the Kyoto Protocol."