Betrayal at Cancun sounds good as a title for a book, or even an article, but when it comes to the real world, it has tremendous repercussions. Minister for environment and forests Jairam Ramesh has been accused of deviating from India’s over-two-decade-old stand that it would not accept any binding emission cuts as it would hamper the growth of the developing countries. The minister has said the opposite by announcing that all countries must accept legally binding emission cuts. This came as a shocker, particularly to the environment groups that have called it a sell-out, a capitulation to the US, and changing the goal post. Predictably, the minister has denied that he has changed the goal post. He intention was to see that India was not isolated, as Brazil and some others were, in favour of accepting the binding-emission-cuts position. He also took it upon himself to be a self-proclaimed saviour of the ongoing UN climate change summit at Cancun, which was almost gridlocked with each bloc maintaining its own position. One can understand his explanation — that as a negotiator one should be flexible. This is a fair position, but what did he get in return for this flexibility, which many see as a betrayal of the country’s stated position? Where are the 30 pieces of silver?
The US, which is the biggest polluter in the world and the highest emitter of greenhouse gases, has not committed to anything. It is not even a signatory to the Kyoto Protocol where 40 nations, including India, are bound to cut greenhouse gases by 2012. Even under the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change India is not required to take on emission commitments. This “nuance” of his, as he calls it, must have sounded like music to the ears of the developed nations, primarily the US which has been trying to pressure India and China to accept legally binding emission cuts. This is a worrying development, especially coming so close after the visit of US President Barack Obama who has made many demands of India and which suggests that India has already signed up to be in its camp. The US, and more recently French President Nicolas Sarkozy, have tried to preach to India its responsibility as a nation that aspires to be a permanent member of the United Nations Security Council. This is a dangling carrot that India should not be taken in by. There is a view that India could be trying to cosy up to the once-upon-a-time big powers that are at present economically crippled. India, despite its high growth rate compared to that of the developed world, has a long way to go before it can really be considered a developed country. With crores of people still below the poverty line awaiting economic emancipation, it can hardly dare to throw its weight on the side of the developed world. Even China, which is way ahead of India on all economic parameters, is content to be part of the developing world. If what Mr Ramesh has done in breaking the deadlock at Cancun is really a sell-out, then one can imagine what may happen at the next Doha Round of the World Trade Organisation. There exists the same deadlock and dividing line between the developed and developing nations. India has so far withheld from opening agriculture and other sensitive sectors to the US and Europe. But if it is going to take on the role of breaking gridlocks, then the people of our country should view this “nuance” of Mr Ramesh as a tolling bell of alarm.