India agrees to be listed in Copenhagen accord

New Delhi, March 9 : India has agreed to be listed in the introductory remarks of the Copenhagen Accord, Environment and Forests Minister Jairam Ramesh told parliament Tuesday.

Stating that India has agreed to such a listing after careful consideration, Ramesh said: "Listing in chapeau of the accord implies that we participated in the negotiations on Copenhagen Accord and that we stand by the accord."

Ramesh said that India last month received a letter from United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) asking if the country wishes to be listed in chapeau of the accord.

He said India has communicated its decision to the UNFCCC Secretariat with three conditions.

"First, the accord is a political document and is not legally binding. It is not a template for outcomes. Second, the Copenhagen Accord is not a separate, third track of negotiations outside the UNFCCC. Third, the purpose of the Copenhagen Accord is to bring about a consensus in the existing and on-going, two-track multilateral negotiations process under the UNFCCC," he told the Lok Sabha.

Citing that listing in chapeau of the accord will strengthen the country's negotiating position on climate change, Ramesh said: "We believe that our decision to be listed reflects the role India played in giving shape to the Copenhagen Accord."

"The accord could have value if the areas of convergence reflected in the accord are used to help the parties reach agreed outcomes under the UN multilateral negotiations in the two tracks," he said.

In the BASIC (Brazil, South Africa, India and China) group, Brazil and South Africa have already communicated their association. Simultaneously, the two countries have elaborated the circumstances under which they have associated themselves with the accord.

"China has expressed support to the accord in their communication addressed to UN secretary general. Many other countries from G77 have also associated themselves with the accord," he added.