[Marxistindia] Climate Change: No Moving Away from Basic Position

[news from the cpi(m)]

                                                        October 20, 2009


Press Statement


The Polit Bureau of the Communist Party of India (Marxist) has issued
the following statement:


           Climate Change: No Moving Away From Basic Position


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.