India
Updated : Nov 19, 2014, 05:09 PM IST
India did not clearly spell out its position on the issue of hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs) during a key UN conference here as nations debated whether to set up a contact group for discussing the proposed amendment to the Montreal Protocol to phase down the harmful greenhouse gas.
As nations debated pro and cons of the issue, India neither supported nor opposed it and instead merely read out a joint-bilateral statement on HFCs signed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and US President Barack Obama during their White House summit on September 30.
When contacted, Indian officials known to the development pointed out that it was done to "clarify" country's stand after Canada, while moving the amendment, referred to "a change" in India's approach on the issue.
India's unclear stand has irked the green groups attending the conference.
"I can't understand why a bilateral deal read out in multilateral forum," climate expert and deputy director general of Centre for Science and Environment, Chandra Bhushan, said.
On the opening day of the conference on Monday, India had not opposed to participate in discussing on the agenda on the issue of harmful greenhouse gas under United Nations Montreal Protocol on ozone depleting substances.