Developed nations must do more to tackle global warming: India at COP19

Warsaw: India today said it will push the industrialised nations to take a leadership role to tackle global warming, even as there was no breakthrough in sight on key issues after week-long negotiations at the UN Climate Conference. India and other developing countries including China are upset with countries like Australia, Japan and Canada for abandoning the greenhouse gas emission targets set by the 1997 Kyoto Protocol. [caption id=“attachment_1236811” align=“alignleft” width=“380”]  Climate change activists climb the roof top of a building in Poland. AP[/caption] Japan recently announced that it will let emissions rise 3 per cent above 1990 levels by 2020. “We are very critical of that. Because you are not committing anything under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC). You want to take actions outside the UNFCCC. It sends a wrong signal. Many other Annexe I parties (industrialised nations) will also think of similarly lowering the target,” an official said on the condition of anonymity ahead of ministerial level talks. “Annexe I parties have the prime responsibility in climate change to take the leadership role. When they are not pledging how did we expect the developing country parties to enhance their emission?” the official said. As the week-long official-level talks failed to clinch an understanding, all hopes are now pinned on the ministerial level discussions set to begin today in Warsaw, the Polish capital. Environment Minister Jayanthi Natarajan is expected to arrive here tomorrow to attend the ministerial level talk. The Kyoto Protocol is a global treaty that sets binding obligations on industrialised nations to cut greenhouse gas emissions. PTI