Response of climate summit to challenges is faulty: MS Swaminathan

Agricultural scientist MS Swaminathan, who was at the Copenhagen summit, today said the response of the climate change conference to the magnitude, challenges and urgency was "faulty" and that every country should help themselves.

"In relation to the magnitude, challenges, and urgency, the response was faulty. Response was not commensurate. Even if you want to bring down the temperature by two degrees, you have to have much greater commitments. I have added all the commitments made, it won't come down to two degrees, we need more than that," Swaminathan told PTI on the sidelines of a convention of the Rural Knowledge Centre Movement.

The climate change conference had failed to adopt a binding treaty on emission cuts and as a face saver decided to "take note" of a US-brokered deal with India and three other emerging economies, which was rejected by several poor nations.

The deal promised to limit gas emissions to two degrees Celsius of pre-industrial levels and peaking of global and national emissions at the earliest, among other things.

On the finance side, it provides $100 billion for long-term funding for developing countries and $30 billion for short-term, which would go to the poorest and most vulnerable.

"That is why I said, now it is clear that very country should help themselves. We must be prepared," he said.