India likely to give lukewarm response to UN climate summit

NEW DELHI: India is likely to give a lukewarm response to the UN climate summit in New York this month as it views that it is not part of normal negotiation process being held under the aegis of UNFCCC.

Senior officials in the government said that the conference is being held at the behest of developed nations which want to take away from the negotiation process the real climate issues affecting the developing nations.

India and other developing nations are not happy as the developed countries have not fulfilled their commitment to the Green Climate Fund (GCF) a fund within the framework of the UNFCCC to transfer money from the developed to the developing world for adaptation and mitigation practices to counter climate change.

Developing countries including India and China have urged rich nations to agree to a road-map for capitalisation of Green Climate Fund by 2015 - the year the world will have a universal global climate deal in Paris.

Environment Minister Prakash Javadekar will represent India in the conference which will see heads of 125 nations coming together to speak on climate change.

UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon has invited world leaders from government, finance, business, and civil society to Climate Summit 2014 on September 23 to galvanise and catalyse climate action.

He has asked these leaders to bring to the Summit bold announcements and actions which will reduce emissions, strengthen climate resilience, and mobilise political will for a meaningful legal agreement in 2015.

Javadekar said that India would raise the issue of Green Climate Fund in the conference.