Copenhagen made limited progress: PM

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The Copenhagen meet made "limited progress" and no one was satisfied with the outcome, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh said, while observing that taking the path of low greenhouse gas emissions was the only alternative and India "must not lag behind" on this.

Inaugurating the 97th Indian Science Congress, Singh acknowledged that results of last month's climate summit, that saw sharp differences over issues of emission cuts and accountability, had left no one satisfied. However, he said, India should aspire to be among the world leaders in climate-friendly technologies.

"We were able to make only limited progress at the Copenhagen Summit and no one was satisfied with the outcome.

"And yet there is no escaping the truth that the nations of the world have to move to a low greenhouse gas emissions and energy efficient development path," he said.

Singh, who was among over 100 world leaders who attended the finale of the 12-day summit in the Danish capital, said nations are chalking out strategies to achieve greater energy efficiency and a shift to renewable energy sources, as well as for adapting to climate change "which is inevitable".

India, he said, "must not lag behind in these areas". "Indeed we should plan to be among the leaders in the development of science and technology related to mitigation and also adaptation to climate change. The market for such technologies is not just India. It is the whole world," he said.