by Agence France-Presse
NEW DELHI—India has decided to formally back a climate change accord struck in Copenhagen last year that includes non-binding limits on global warming, Environment Minister Jairam Ramesh said Tuesday.
Ramesh told parliament that India, the last major emitter yet to formally endorse the agreement, would join the more than 100 other countries that have already “associated” with it.
“We participated in the negotiations on the Copenhagen Accord and we stand by the accord,” Ramesh said.
The Copenhagen Accord sets a non-binding goal of limiting global warming to below 2.0 degrees C (3.6 degrees F) above pre-industrial times and a goal of $100 billion in aid from 2020.
It also lists steps by several countries, including all the top greenhouse gas emitters, to either cut or curb the growth of their emissions by 2020.
The deal was crafted amid chaos by a small group of countries, led by the United States and China, to avert an implosion of the U.N.‘s December 7-18 climate summit in Copenhagen.
Some had worried that India, though publicly in support, would refuse to endorse the accord, which fell far short of the binding legal agreement to cut carbon emissions that some countries and campaigners had wanted.
In the past, India and China had publicly said they “supported” the accord and Indian officials had stressed there was a distinction between expressing support and explicitly becoming “associated.”
Environment ministry officials said the decision came after other key emerging countries—Brazil, South Africa, and China—also associated themselves with the deal.
“We believe that our decision to be listed reflects the role India played in giving shape to the Copenhagen Accord. This will strengthen our negotiating position on climate change,” Ramesh said.
Ahead of the Copenhagen climate talks, India had pledged to cut its carbon footprint by reducing the intensity of its emissions.
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