India cannot take legally binding GHG emission cuts: Ramesh

Refusing to be pushed by the US on putting a cap on emissions, India today said it would not accept any "legally binding" reductions but assured that its carbon footprint would never exceed that of developed nations.

Environment minister Jairam Ramesh asserted that New Delhi was "simply not in a position" to accept any legally binding emission reductions and made it clear that India was not running away from responsibilities on the issue.

The minister's comments came at a joint press conference with US secretary of State Hillary Clinton after she toured the ITC Green Building here which showcases environment- friendly practices in India.

The US wants India to agree to limit its carbon emissions ahead of the signing of a new UN climate treaty in Copenhagen in December.

Giving a suggestion in this regard, Clinton pointed out that India's green house gas pollution was projected to grow by about 50% between now and 2030 and the country was vulnerable to climate change.

However, she said that the US does not and will not do anything that would limit India's economic progress.

Ramesh underlined India's stand that its GHG emissions would never exceed those of the developed nations. He said India was firmly anchored in the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change and the Bali Action Plan.

"You can take a look at the track record of India. Once we have adopted an international obligation, we have never reneged on an international obligation," Ramesh said.

Clinton said that India and the US can jointly devise a breakthrough plan for fighting climate change that will generate massive new investments and millions of jobs.

She said she was upbeat after her discussion with Indian officials and believed that there were paths forward that would get the two countries on a sustainable approach globally to mitigate and decrease GHG emissions.

"I am very confident that the US and India can devise a plan that will dramatically change the way we produce, consume and conserve energy and in the process spark an explosion of new investment and millions of jobs," Clinton said.

The secretary of State admitted that the tasks to achieve global goals will "very likely differ".

"That is what we are going to be working out in the months leading up to Copenhagen," she added.

Clinton said the challenge was to create a global framework that recognises the different needs and responsibilities of developed and developing countries alike.

She acknowledged that the US had made mistakes in its own industrial advance and defended the right of emerging countries to improve their living standards.

Ramesh agreed with Clinton that it was possible for the developing and developed countries to narrow their positions on climate change.

"It is possible for us to have an international agreement that recognises common but differentiated responsibilities and which also involves credible actions by countries like India and China to mitigate the GHG emissions in future," he added.

Regarding the bilateral agreements between the US and India to tackle global warming, Ramesh said the two nations have agreed on "concrete partnerships" in the area of energy efficiency during his discussions with Clinton.

"I want to say that both sides have agreed on the need of partnerships, concrete partnerships, on projects in various fields like energy efficiency, solar energy, biomass, energy-efficient buildings of the type that you are seeing here today," he said.

Ramesh sought US support for India's proposals to the UNFCCC and Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation in Developing Countries (REDD).

"The developed nations must acknowledge and reward countries who are in the business of actually expanding forest cover. On our part, we are embarking on a close to $3 billion programme to regenerate our natural forests that already cover some 165 million acres roughly the size of Texas," he said.

Earlier, Clinton heaped praise on the ITC Green Centre, equating the building with monuments like the Taj Mahal and India Gate.

"We know that there are wonderful monuments throughout India from the India Gate to the Taj Mahal. The ITC green building may not be a regular stop on the tourist calendar but it is a monument in its own right, she said.

The Green Centre is one of the 11 buildings in India that have earned a LEED Partner designation, the highest designation by the US Green Building Council for Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design.