India recently reiterated to the United Nations that it would oppose any legally binding climate change goals and vowed to cut down on emissions.

The Indian Environment Ministry while giving its fullest support towards the Copenhagen Accord also stated that plans had been put forth to cut back on emissions intensity by as much as 20 to 25 % by 2020 in comparison to levels experienced in 2005.

India’s proposition was initially made in parliament in December 2009, well before the Copenhagen summit. The recent affirmation came as the United Nations requested countries to reiterate respective climate change policies. The deadline expires on January 31, 2010.
In an official statement last week India stated that its UN submission “clarified that its domestic mitigation actions will be entirely voluntary in nature and will not have a legally binding character.”

The expected cutback in emissions intensity indicates that every dollar of India’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) would need to make 20 to 25 % fewer emissions by 2020, in relation to emissions in 2005.

Part of a coalition alongside Brazil, China and South Africa; India petitioned quite triumphantly at the recent Copenhagen meeting against any such binding emission target.

The country’s Environment Minister Jairam Ramesh praised the accord and stated that India had emerged from the discussions a victor. However, in contrast, environmentalists criticized the Asian nation’s stance to avoid any agreement on practices that would compel countries towards emission cutbacks.

India’s stance in the matter is that developed countries or ‘rich’ countries as they call it are accountable for global warming and thus should bear the conscience and issues arising from the future problem.