SAARC to make a statement at Copenhagen climate change summit: Ramesh

New Delhi, Oct. 20 (ANI): Minister of State for Environment and Forests, Jairam Ramesh, said on Tuesday that in addition to the statements by individual countries, SAARC as a separate entity would present a statement of concern on climate change at the Copenhagen climate change summit.

"In addition to each individual country making statements, SAARC as a collective body will seek to make a statement, this statement will be made by Sri Lanka as a current chair for SAARC," Ramesh told reporters after the eighth meeting of SAARC Environment Ministers in here.

"SAARC countries unanimously believe that we should not move away from UNFCCC, Kyoto Protocol and Bali action plan," Ramesh added.

Environment ministers aim to sign in December a pact to extend or replace the Kyoto Protocol, but advance talks are mired in complex drafts and suspicion between industrialized and developing nations.

The UN talks are stuck on how big carbon cuts rich nations make by 2020, and how much climate aid they should pay to developing countries.

Jairam Ramesh had earlier said that India would scale back demands for deep emissions cuts by rich nations if a global climate deal includes a generous package of technology transfers and finance.

He also said that New Delhi would no longer insist on 40 percent cuts in emissions by 2020.

Many countries are unwilling to commit to cuts before knowing the position of the United States, the world's biggest emitter per capita, where legislators are unlikely to pass laws outlining their promises on carbon cuts until next year.

A huge gap also exists between rich countries reluctant to pay the fiscal and lifestyle costs of deep cuts in their emissions, and developing states who say they must be allowed to increase emissions so their economies can catch up. (ANI)