India, China discuss common climate strategy for Copenhagen Summit
Environment Minister Jairam Ramesh on Friday met Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao and is believed to have discussed the strategies the two countries may adopt at the Copenhagen climate summit next month.
Environment Minister Jairam Ramesh on Friday met Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao and is believed to have discussed the strategies the two countries may adopt at the Copenhagen climate summit next month.
The Chinese government is said to have confirmed to him its opposition to allowing any international review of its environmental progamme, including carbon emission reduction, a stand India has also shared.
India is surprised by the high level of emission cuts announced by China on Thursday by which it has pledged to reduce its carbon intensity by 40 to 45 per cent by 2020.
Ramesh is believed to have told the Chinese side about India's intention to undertake targets for reducing carbon emissions linked to GDP but not as high as that of China.
Ahead of his visit to China, Ramesh had said that "we (India and China) are on same page as far as negotiations are concerned but not as far as emissions are concerned. China today is the world's leading carbon emitter while India is on the fifth position."
China's emission level is 2.85 tonnes per thousand dollars of Gross Domestic Product compared to India's level which is 1.8 tonnes per thousand dollars of GDP.
The minister, who is here on a two-day visit to firm up the stand to be taken at the Copenhagen summit, plans to meet his counterparts from key developing countries like Brazil, South Africa besides China.