US,other rich states not doing enough to fight climate change:UNFCCC

New Delhi, Feb 6 (UNI) The United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) today condemned the US and other developed countries for falling short of their responsibilities regarding the fight against the climate change.

It also called upon developing countries like India and China to set their own national targets, though they had not been and will not be mandated any cuts in emissions in the post-Kyoto agreement.

''I don't think the US is doing enough, and there was also not enough evidence that other rich countries were taking adequate steps to arrest global warming,''UNFCCC Executive Secretray Yvo de Boer said talking to newspersons here .

''Any international framework without the inclusion of the US would not be menaningful, and as we all know that the country had kept out of the Kyoto Protocol, but yet we can see something positive in the fact that it has agreed to take part in the talks for post-Kyoto framework,'' he said.

Moreover, Mr Boer sought to point out that public pressure was building up in the US for taking urgent measures to cut emission of Green House Gases(GHG), and hoped the new administration which would replace President Bush after the November election would be responsive to the situation.

Replying to a question, Mr Boer, who has come to take part in the Delhi Sustainable Summit here, said it would not be justified to ask developing countries to commit to any quantified reductions in the emissions in the post-2012 framework, but countries like India and China were expected to take the lead and set their national targets.

In fact these countries should pinpoint their need regarding greening of their developmental process so that international assistance and cooperation could be channelised in a better manner, he felt.

Mr Boer said he would be meeting Prime Minister Manmohan Singh tomorrow and he would tell him the usefulness of India coming out with its national targets of emission reduction and telling the international agencies about where it needed their help.

''I am keen to hear from the Indian Government and business what they see as their need and responsibility for ensuring a sustainable development.'' he said.

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