Japanese prime minister Yukio Hatoyama called on his Indian counterpart on Saturday to make an international commitment on climate change.
Japanese prime minister Yukio Hatoyama called on his Indian counterpart on Saturday to make an international commitment on climate change, saying it was vital for a U.N. deal due in Copenhagen in December.
Hatoyama, who took office last month after a landslide election victory, has pledged Japan -- the world's fifth biggest emitter of greenhouse gases -- will cut emissions 25% by 2020 and hopes emerging nations like China and India will also sign up to an ambitious global deal.
"India's commitment is indispensable for the success of Copenhagen and I hope it will make an international commitment based on their steps taken domestically," Hatoyama told Indian prime minister Manmohan Singh, according to a Japanese government official.
The two leaders held a bilateral meeting on the sideline of a series of summit meetings among Asian leaders in the Thai seaside town of Hua Hin.
Disputes over 2020 emissions cuts by developed nations and the amounts of cash to help developing nations combat global warming are among the main sticking points in sluggish U.N. talks meant to end in Denmark on December 18 with a new treaty.
Developing nations led by China and India say the rich need to make cuts averaging at least 40% below 1990 levels by 2020 to avoid the worst of climate change.
Singh welcomed Hatoyama's climate change initiative and said India as a responsible member of the international community would contribute to the global efforts on climate change and seek a low-carbon society, the Japanese official told reporters.
But Singh stopped short of making a climate change commitment and noted that India's emission is only 4% of the total global emission, the Japanese official said.
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