Gap between India, US emissions goals grows wider

When president Barack Obama and prime minister meet next week to talk about climate change, the leaders will focus on green technologies rather than narrowing the global divide on greenhouse gas emissions goals, the chairman of the UN's climate science panel, Rajendra Pachauri said.

Pachauri said the gap between the United States and India on how to battle climate change has grown over the last six months in the lead up to the UN climate meeting in Copenhagen in December.

"I doubt if there would be much of a productive dialogue on what the two countries will do at Copenhagen," Pachauri told reporters in a teleconference.

The gap has grown because Washington hasn't committed to emission cuts, he said.

Indian prime minister Manmohan Singh arrives in Washington on Monday for a state visit aimed at boosting economic ties between the two countries.

Some 190 countries had been expected to hammer out in Copenhagen a successor agreement to the Kyoto Protocol on reducing emissions.

But the United States, which has emitted more greenhouses on a cumulative basis than any other country, is the lone developed country that has not tabled an emissions target. The climate bill in the US Congress has been delayed and it is uncertain whether Democrats have enough votes to pass it.

"On the Indian side, there is a feeling that the US is not forthcoming and (not) doing much itself, but is trying to push India in a corner," Pachauri said. "Therefore, there is a feeling there's been a divergence of opinions between the US and India as compared to what existed six months ago."

Obama and Singh will instead focus on development of renewable energy, Pachauri said, including discussing advanced biofuels, since India has large amounts of crop residue that could be used as a feedstock to make alternative motor fuels.

Michael Levi, a climate expert at the Council on Foreign Relations, said he expected the Obama-Singh meeting to result money being pledged by the United States and private Indian concerns to develop clean energy in India.