Resentment against John Kerry's remark that India will be a "challenge" grew as a key Indian negotiator and a member of the Prime Minister's climate panel today said countries are now "flexing their muscles" while referring to US secretary of State's comment.
Director General of Bureau of Energy Efficiency (BEE) Ajay Mathur also took a dig at Kerry saying it means that nations could not put forward their point of views during the Paris climate change negotiations especially if the views were not in line with the US.
He added that the "challenges" were becoming more "visible" as countries are "sparring" over key issues including finance, technology and legal nature of pact expected to be reached upon in Paris.
"As we go towards Paris, the challenges are both becoming more visible. People are flexing their muscle, displaying the tone of their muscle across the spectrum and at the same time, we are also getting some degree of clarity as people are providing inputs on what their positions are.
"Kerry said India will be a challenge. What that means is that any country which puts forward a point of view for negotiations should not say so. Especially if it is different from US point of view. Then why do we have negotiations. We are going into the negotiations believing that we want to ensure that our vulnerable citizens are protected and they get affordable and adequate energy.
"We know that people are there with other points of view. But that's what the negotiations are all about. We go into these negotiations with a positive mind frame despite whatever Secretary Kerry may call us," said Mathur, who is also member of the Prime Minister's Council on Climate Change and a key negotiator.
Kerry in an interview with a leading international business daily had recently warned that India could be a "challenge" at upcoming climate change talks in Paris, with its government reluctant to accept more of a role in addressing global warming.
"We've got a lot of focus on India right now to try to bring them along. India has been more cautious, a little more restrained in its embrace of this new paradigm, and it's a challenge," he was quoted as saying.
Environment Minister Prakash Javadekar has already hit out at Kerry for his remarks and said that the comments were "unwarranted" and also made it clear that India is "not in the habit of taking any pressure from anybody".
(Reopens DEL 43)
The Paris Climate Conference, scheduled to take place from November 30 to December 11, aims at achieving a legally binding and universal agreement on climate, and keep global warming below 2 degrees Celsius.
Commenting further, Mathur said that with days to go for Paris summit, there are negotiating partners who are "sparring" over the legal nature of the agreement.
"There are negotiating partners who are now sparring, US and EU particularly on the legal nature of the agreement. There are other groups including the G77, of which we are a part, which are looking at enhancing the financial and technological aspects.
"There are other people who are saying we are not going to have any discussion on it. As we are coming closer (to Paris), these kinds of statements, I think are reflections of countries or groups starting positions. We do not know their redlines but with these statements, we at least know where there starting points are," Mathur said.
Elaborating on expectation from the International Solar Alliance which India has proposed, he said that the alliance should bring together countries who can utilise solar technology and has markets for solar technology.
"While the details would be worked out, the broad idea is that countries would be partners and they will choose the kind of activities which they want to do together even if it is pre-market which means doing studies or coming out with standards. It is the harmonisation of actions which we see as main benefit of solar alliance. It is mainly to spur demand," he said.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi and French President Francois Hollande will jointly launch the International Solar Alliance proposed by India.
Mathur said that India wants a "just" climate agreement which is "equitable and sustainable".
"We have submitted our Intended Nationally Determined Contributions (INDCs) which we are implementing. We want to assure the world that these would be implemented.
"But if the global stocktake tells us that we have to be more ambitious, then it would require accelerated actions. We believe that global financial and technological support is essential for accelerated action," he said.
(Reopens DEL 53)
Mathur said that a just climate agreement would need to address the poor people of India who are vulnerable to adverse impact of climate change while ensuring adequate and affordable energy supplies to the people is also a key issue.
"We (India) do not want an agreement when people walk out when they find they are unable to meet the requirements of the agreement. The form of the agreement also matters. We believe the current form which is based on INDCs is a good way ahead and the process will enable is a virtuous cycle of trust and confidence building," he said.
Mathur also asserted that India expects developed countries to take the lead in enhancing its ambitions.
"We also believe that developed countries have to take the lead in enhancing ambition both in the years upto 2020 and between 2020 and 2030. The reasons are fairly clear. The vast amount of carbon dioxide which is already up there in the atmosphere has come from developed countries.
"This was a by-product of the use of low cost energy for achieving development. It is the responsibility of developed countries to take action first, to move in a direction to make carbon space available for developing countries like India," he said.
Mathur said that the three key things which India would want to come out of the negotiations are an agreement which provides an opportunity for countries to put in their own commitments "time and again", enables a global stocktake which helps the countries refine their goals for more ambitions a provision of finance and technology to accelerate action in developing countries.
