With rumbling increasing over climate issues, India has thwarted the latest attempt of rich nations to discuss climate change issues outside United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) and UN general assembly. United States and European nations wanted the issue of climate change to be discussed in the UN Security Council saying the global warming can pose threat to international peace and security.
They citied the example of small island nations, which face the danger of submergence, as a reason for discussing climate change in UNSC. These countries were of the view that such extreme events can cause huge migration leading to security problems.
Although India has faced similar problem because of migration from Bangladesh, Indian envoy in United Nations Hardeep Puri said these issues needed a broader approach entrenched in development, adaptive capacity and institutional built-up.
“Peacekeeping missions, use of force and sanctions, which the UNSC can authorize, do not fit the problems of climate change,” he said earlier this week.
India has support of China, Russia, Brazil and South Africa on the issue who insisted that climate change should remain central to UNFCCC.
Indian environment minister Jayanthi Natarajan at a recent meeting with US climate negotiators made it clear accepting emissions cuts was not acceptable to India and any climate treaty should be based on the principles of “equity” and right to sustainable development.
