23 Dec 2009

India claims credit over stalling at Copenhagen

10:03 pm on 23 December 2009

India says it worked with China and others to thwart pressure from the developed world to agree to binding emission targets at the Copenhagen climate conference last week.

Environment minister Jairam Ramesh says all of Delhi's concerns were safeguarded, including resisting calls for global reductions in carbon emissions.

He says the BASIC group of countries comprising China, India, South Africa and Brazil, have emerged as a powerful force in climate change negotiations, in the face of what he called relentless pressure from richer countries.

Meanwhile, United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki Moon has defended the Copenhagen accord.

The accord is not legally binding and sets no long-term global targets for emissions cuts.

Many world leaders and environmental activists have criticised it, saying the process was flawed and the outcome not strong enough.

But Ban Ki-moon has hailed the talks as a significant step towards a binding agreement.

Swedish environment minister Andreas Carlgren has described last week's summit as a disaster.

Mr Carlgren says Copenhagen was a great failure and the European Union and the rest of the world has to learn from it.