People's Democracy

 Climate Change: No Moving Away From Basic Position

The Polit Bureau of the Communist Party of India (Marxist) issued the following statement on October 20.

THE press reports and the publication of the Minister for Environment and Forests, Mr. Jairam Ramesh's letter to the Prime Minister, calling for an about turn on India's long held climate change negotiating position are deeply disturbing.

There has been a national consensus on the major elements of India's climate change policy. These include convergence of per capita emissions by developed and developing nations, the principle of common but differentiated responsibility in tackling global warming, immediate and sharp cuts in Green House Gas (GHG) emissions to be undertaken by the rich industrialised countries that today have contributed to the bulk of
GHG stock in the atmosphere and the provision, by the developed countries, of technology and adaptation financing for the developing countries as a small measure for repayment of this carbon debt. 

The minister's letter is a complete move away from these basic positions and seems only to focus on strategically aligning India with the US on climate policy and breaking ranks with the entire bloc of developing countries. 

The climate change negotiations once again show that measures critical to the country are being negotiated away without any discussion within the country or in parliament. The CPI(M) demands that Parliament lay down the basic principles of the climate change negotiating positions and any change of these positions should be done only by parliament.