LMDCs on Climate Change a strong negotiating group: India

NEW DELHI: Ahead of the crucial climate change conference in Paris, India today termed the Like-Minded Developing Countries ( LMDCs) as a "strong negotiating group" which has played an instrumental role in "anchoring" the interest of countries like India.

Ahead of the important summit, Environment Minister Prakash Javadekar also urged negotiators to protect the long-term interest of developing countries including India while coming up with a balanced text which includes mitigation and adaptation.

"As a strong negotiating group, the LMDCs have played an instrumental role in anchoring the interest of developing countries including India, by taking a strong and unified stand on critical issues," Javadekar said.

He was speaking at the inaugural session of the two-day meeting of LMDCs which India is hosting for the first time.

Noting that LMDCs represent more than 50 per cent of the world's population, Javadekar said that in India, the issue of climate change has received fresh impetus under Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

"The Minister urged negotiators to come up with a balanced text on all elements of the Durban Platform - mitigation, adaptation and loss and damage, finance, technology development and transfer...

"capacity-building and transparency of action and support while protecting the long-term interest of developing countries based on the principles of equity and CBDR (Common but Differentiated Responsibilities)," an official statement said.

The objective of this meeting is for negotiators from LMDCs to exchange, coordinate and harmonise views on the ADP negotiating text under the UNFCCC negotiations and to prepare strategies and way forward for the negotiations in the run-up to Paris.

"The meeting is significant as it comes at a crucial juncture in the negotiations given the limited time available before the CoP-21 in Paris," the statement said.

Around 26 foreign delegates from 12 countries including Argentina, Bolivia, Cuba, China, Ecuador, El Salvador, Malaysia, Iran, Nicaragua, Saudi Arabia, Vietnam, Venezuela, and representatives from South Centre and Third World Network, participated on the first day of the meeting.

France is hosting and presiding the 21st Session of the Conference of the Parties (CoP) to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) from November 30 to December 11.

COP21 will be a crucial conference as it needs to achieve a new international agreement on the climate applicable to all countries with the aim of keeping global warming below two degrees Celsius.