Ensure BASIC solidarity: Ramesh told at the Cancun talks

NEW DELHI: The Union Cabinet, which drew clear red lines for Mr Jairam Ramesh’s negotiating brief at the Cancun climate talks, instructed the minister to opt for a line that ensures solidarity of the BASIC group and protects India’s sovereign space in verification of climate change mitigation efforts.

The Ministry Of External Affairs has been arguing against New Delhi finalising its position without assessing the developed world’s negotiating stance.

While there was agreement that Mr Ramesh should have some amount of latitude during talks, ministers who participated in the discussion maintained that there should be no dilution in India’s stand on MRV (measurement, reporting and verification). India has consistently maintained that only those actions supported by international funding should be opened for verification.

Mr Ramesh’s colleagues, who are against any move that would be seen as “appeasing the bullies,” argued against any whittling down of the unity of the BASIC group and developing countries.

As negotiations began in Cancun, there was little sign of a compromise on climate funding. Europe has already complicated matters by converting bulk of the promised package for reducing emissions into loans. The developing countries are of the view that climate money should come in the form of grants and not loans.