Climate accord not legally binding: Ramesh

New Delhi, Dec 22: Environment Minister Jairam Ramesh on Tuesday, Dec 22, said that India has not only protected but enhanced its interests at the Copenhagen climate summit.

Speaking in the parliament on the Copenhagen outcome, Ramesh said that India had repeatedly ensured that there was no of any infringement of national sovereignty.

Jairam said India and other BASIC countries (Brazil, South Africa, China) had ensured that no new legally binding instrument emerged at Copenhagen.

"We were able to thwart attempts by some developed countries to see an end to Kyoto Protocol, which mandates rich nations to take deep emission cuts in a legally-binding manner," he said.

Meanwhile, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh also called on President Pratibha Patil and briefed her on the deliberations at the UN climate summit in Copenhagen.

The meeting lasted for about 40 minutes, a Rashtrapati Bhavan spokesperson said.

OneIndia News