India asks Australia to clarify statement on climate change measures

India has asked Australia’s Environment Minister Penny Wong to clarify a proposal that she had put forward at a climate change conference in the United States. Indian Environment Minister Jairam Ramesh said Australia’s attempt to break the deadlock between developed and developing countries over a global climate change agreement ahead of the Copenhagen summit in December is unacceptable in its current form. “If all countries are treated as equal, then the proposal is doomed,” said Ramesh. Speaking at a conference for newspaper editors in Copenhagen, Denmark, Ramesh said he had also asked Senator Wong to clarify the legally binding nature of the schedule of mitigation measures countries such as India would have to agree to under the Australian proposal. (October 12, 2009)