People's Democracy

 

CITU Condemns Govt Stand at Cancun

 

IN a statement issued from New Delhi on December 11, the secretariat of the Centre of Indian Trade Unions (CITU) has pointed out that the UPA government has departed from its commitment to the parliament at the Cancun summit. This is evident from the sudden shift in the stand of union environment minister for state Jairam Ramesh, proposing legally binding emission cuts from all countries including the developing ones like India. This is condemnable, the CITU said.

 

The statement further pointed out that Ramesh has also moved away from the commitment to take the Kyoto Protocol forward to the second phase. It was necessary for India to firmly exert the Kyoto protocol parties to anchor their commitments within the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change. While the US government had refused to follow the commitment, India’s stand has now been diluted in line with the US policy.

 

This shows that the UPA government is more sensitive to the US policy requirements than to its assurance to the people of this country. This will result in absolute emission cuts, and the stiff dictates of international, legal bindings would significantly weaken of the level of the developing countries emission reduction target.

 

The CITU has demanded that the UPA government must give up the dangerous line of surrendering to US machinations in the matter and strictly adhere to the need of our country and our people. The CITU maintains that such perspective demands strong opposition to the imposition of legality by the major polluting countries.