India, China versus United States at Copenhagen

(On special aircraft with Prime Minister to Copenhagen), Dec.17 (ANI): As Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Chinese premier Wen Jiabao have decided to hold a personal meet ahead of the crucial Heads of the States meet on climate change in Copenhagen on Friday, an unusual but interesting match is likely to be witnessed by the world as India and China will take on the U.S..

As per India's stance on climate change, it is ready to cut CO2 emissions per unit of GDP by 20-25% from 2005 levels by 2020.

India rejects legally binding target and stresses that rich countries should legally bound. As per Indian position, it says rich countries are to blame for climate change and points to big gap in per capita emissions, wants 40 per cent cut in rich country emissions by 2020, and opposes goal of halving world emissions by 2050.

As per Chinese stance at the U.N. climate change summit in Copenhagen, it has set a "binding goal" to cut CO2 per unit of GDP by 40-45 per cent below 2005 levels by 2020, wants rich countries to reduce emissions to 40 per cent below 1990 level by 2020.

China says that the developed countries should pay 1 per cent of their Gross Domestic Product (GDP) per year to help other countries adapt, and it wants West to provide low-carbon technology.

But United States' position at the U.N. climate change summit is that the U.S. will cut emissions to 17 per cent below 2005 levels by 2020 pending congressional approval - this is close to 4% below 1990 levels, it is against Kyoto-style treaty imposing international legal obligations.

Besides, the U.S insists China, India, South Africa and Brazil must commit to slow growth of emissions. Climate bill is currently bogged down in Senate.

U.S. is the world's second-biggest GHG producer 15.5% of global emissions, 6,087mt of CO2 equivalent.

Dr. Singh is expected to make an intervention at the plenary of the 15th Conference of Parties on Friday which would be addressed by Denmark Prime Minister Lars Loekke Rasmussen and UN Secretary General Ban ki-Moon.

World leaders, including US President Barack Obama, Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao, will also be at the plenary where they would try to reach a political agreement to tackle global warming. By Ashok Dikshit (ANI)