With the climate change talks in Copenhagen in December only a fortnight away, Union environment and forests minister Jairam Ramesh is flying to China to meet a few representatives of ‘critical’ emerging countries like Brazil and South Africa to arrive at a common viewpoint. He will leave on November 27 and return on November 29. “The environment ministers of some emerging countries that are vociferous in the G-77 are meeting in Beijing, ahead of the Copenhagen summit. Countries like India, China, Brazil and South Africa are meeting to discuss their stands,” said an official. G-77 is actually the 131-member bloc of developing nations.
“India is working, and will continue to work, closely with our partners in the G-77 and China in articulating a common position on this issue, while also engaging with other countries to our benefit,” Ramesh had said in an earlier statement. Last month, India and China had signed an agreement for five years to cooperate on ways to fight climate change and work together in international climate deal negotiations.