Went to Copenhagen to protect national interest: Jairam Ramesh

"I did not go to Copenhagen to save the earth, I went there to protect India's national interests."

Environment minister Jairam Ramesh said this when asked whether the Copenhagen Accord would help regions vulnerable to the threat posed by climate change.

He said the last-minute Accord, struck on Friday night, was a very small step forward in tackling climate change and was unlikely to save humanity in the short run.

Ramesh stressed that India would have to peak its greenhouse gas emissions in the 21st Century or "there will not be any 22nd Century".

"We have to see whether the Copenhagen Accord develops into a mutant gene or gets integrated with the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change," he said when asked how did he see the Accord evolving.

On the contentious issue of internationally measurable, reportable and verifiable (MRV) pledges by developing countries, Ramesh said he was fully confident that India's sovereignty had been retained on the matter.
    
He said the mitigation actions would be reported through national communications and there was a provision for international consultations and analysis on it.

The consultations and analysis would be done under clearly defined guidelines that will ensure that national sovereignty is respected, he said.

Ramesh said these guidelines will be within the UNFCCC.