Pak ready for alliance with India on climate change agenda

Despite differences on various other issues, Pakistan has expressed its readiness to forge alliance with India on the climate change agenda to keep off the developed nations from thrusting their green house gas emission standards on the developing nations.

Despite differences on various other issues, Pakistan has expressed its readiness to forge alliance with India on the climate change agenda to keep off the developed nations from thrusting their green house gas emission standards on the developing nations.

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"I think yes, the kind of commonalties in our international positions that one saw in a lot of things in the WTO would probably be extended to areas of environment and climate change also. So, I see a strong possibility of cooperation," Pakistan Commerce Secretary Suleman Ghani said.

Ghani, who was here for the WTO mini-ministerial talks, also noted that trade in South Asia had been affected by the "historical" baggage which the countries of the region should shed. He was hopeful on the composite dialogue between the two countries on the issues that threaten common interests.

The statement, which has come ahead of the UN Summit on climate change at Copenhagen in December, is a major show of unity as developing countries face pressures from developed nations to accept binding cut on green house gas emissions.

A recent study has warned that there were chances of decline in irrigated wheat yield in the semi-arid areas of Pakistan in the range of nine to 30 per cent for a temperature increase of one degree C to four degrees C.

Climate change is also expected to result in changes in land and water resources that will subsequently affect agriculture productivity.