PM snubs Ramesh for climate letter

Things do not seem to be going right for Jairam Ramesh, the Union minister of state for environment and forests, after his infamous letter to the prime minister suggesting India change its stand on greenhouse emissions.

Senior ministry officials say Ramesh has been repeatedly snubbed by the PM’s office after his controversial letter became public and that he was told to keep away from at least two international conferences over the past few weeks.

Ramesh’s letter, dated October 13, said India must mitigate its carbon emissions in self interest and the country must no longer support the G77, a bloc of developing nations, but ally with the G20, a group of the 20 richest countries. Ramesh allegedly suggested that India deviate from the Kyoto Protocol, which mandates only developed countries to undertake emission cuts.  The suggestion led to an uproar, both from within the government and the opposition.

The latest visit Ramesh had to cancel on the PMO’s directions was to Barcelona for the third round of the crucial 30-country Greenland Dialogue from October 30 to 31. Sources said the visit was cancelled at the last minute, though all preparations were made.
The meeting was important, involving the US, China, Brazil, South Africa, Japan and EU member states, and was meant to build consensus before the Copenhagen meet later this year.

The earlier cancelled visit was for the October 26-27 Asia-Pacific Partnership meet in Shanghai. Only mid-level negotiators represented India. The partnership is a group of seven countries — Australia, Canada, China, India, Japan, Korea, and the US - which have agreed to work alongside the private sector on energy security, air pollution reduction and climate change in ways that promote sustainable economic growth and poverty reduction.

The seven countries collectively account for more than half the world’s economy, population and energy use, and produce about 65% of the world’s coal, 62% of cement, 52% of aluminium, and more than 60% of steel.

About his missing the meetings, Ramesh said: “Some of our negotiators had gone for the meeting and represented our position.” But a ministry source said: “The minister has been asked to keep a low profile for the time being on the issue of climate change after the (letter) fiasco.”