The Prime Minister, Dr Manmohan Singh, on Monday stressed on “equity' in climate talks and that growth should take place in a way such that it does not harm the environment.
Sources said that at a meeting with BASIC (Brazil, South Africa, India and China) Ministers, the Prime Minister said the principle of equity — equal per capita rights to the atmospheric space — should be the aim of global talks on climate change.
Recently, the Prime Minister had raised the ‘equity' issue at the Delhi Sustainable Development Summit, where he had made it clear that the countries' right to develop was equally vital.
At the meeting, the Environment Ministers of China, South Africa and Brazil are said to have been appreciative of India's “constructive role” in the Durban climate talks and also for bringing equity back on the global climate platform.
A two-day meeting of the BASIC group, to begin here on Tuesday, will discuss a united strategy in the future negotiations on climate change and focus of the discussions would be the question of equity, sources said.
Earlier in the day, the Prime Minister said on Twitter that “Economic growth is essential for the people, but we cannot allow growth to be pursued in a manner which damages our environment”. According to reports, Environment Ministers of Singapore, Qatar and Swaziland are slated to attend a separate meeting of the BASIC Plus nations during the two-day summit in Delhi.
This is for the first time that Environment Ministers of the four emerging economies are meeting again after the December climate change meet in Durban.