India to oppose EU’s climate protocol move

NEW DELHI: In climate talks beginning on Monday in Bonn, India will oppose the EU’s move to start negotiations on the draft of a new climate protocol in 2012 itself. Considering it another shift in the goalpost by the Europeans, the Indian team of negotiators is expected to point out that no consensus was built at Durban last year that the only way forward is a new protocol that renders Kyoto Protocol redundant.

The new protocol, as the EU demands, will kickstart the process to have a new global deal within three years that would bind India and other emerging countries to a similar level of legally binding commitment to reduce emissions while ignoring the principles of equity. The Indian government is expected to object to the shifting stance of EU that would set the wheels in motion to end the Kyoto Protocol even before the developed world provides its emission reduction targets under the second phase starting in 2013.

At Durban last year, a bargain had been struck to have a second commitment period of Kyoto Protocol with the developed countries officially giving their targets under the deal in 2013. In return, the developing countries led prominently by India had agreed to start discussions on a new global deal under the existing convention that would come into play by 2020.

India and other large developing countries had stuck together to demand that the principle of equity and common but differentiated responsibilities be enshrined in the new deal before its final form is concluded.

Post-Durban, India had officially stated that it would not agree to a new global regime until the two principles got resolved.

But the EU, in a recent informal meeting of ministers of select countries that India too attended, demanded that countries put forth the text for a new protocol on the table in 2012 itself.

Indian negotiators pointed out that EU’s demand would leave the question of existing commitments by the rich world on finance and technology transfer as well as emission reduction in limbo, forcing the world to dump the idea of equity and move to a new regime that would apportion greater and costly responsibilities on the bigger developing economies.