Climate change: India to host 48-nation talks

“The goal of the roundtable is to enable ministers to assess the options from a practical and operational perspective,and channel political guidance into areas where it would be most strategic with a view to facilitate agreement at COP 16 (16th Conference of Parties) in Cancun,” says the concept note for the meet.

The two-day conference,which starts the day Obama leaves India,would address issues on means of implementation,including institutional framework,capacity building,innovation,commercialisation,financing,mainstreaming and partnerships to facilitate development,transfer,diffusion and deployment of technologies.

Last year,India played host to an international conference on Technology Development and Transfer,which resulted in Delhi Statement on Global Cooperation on Climate Technology that proved to be a useful input in the negotiations at the Copenhagen conference.

Though a decision on this aspect could not be arrived at the Copenhagen meet,the need to actualise this mechanism acquires significance in the run-up to the Cancun climate talks next month.

The Cancun talks are aimed at reaching agreed outcomes on the Bali Action Plan under which nations have to evolve necessary mechanisms that enable and provide support to developing countries in terms of technologies.

Developing countries need environment-friendly technology and affiliated funds to achieve sustainable development while combating climate change. But these transfers are getting stalemated because of barriers in developed countries and lack of offsetting policies,capacity development and financial resources.

The dialogue,which is being promoted by the Ministry of Environment and Forests,will be organised in cooperation with the UN Department of Economic & Social Affairs and the Government of Mexico which holds the presidency of COP 16.