Choosing a low-carbon path, as the government seems to be committing itself to at the negotiations, will impose huge costs on India.

The focus must be on consumption and not production patterns, and reducing per capita emissions of developed countries must be the first step.

It has been a bumpy ride, with developed countries failing to make definite commitments and India hinting at a shift of stance.

Environment and Natural Resources Minister Champika Ranawaka said at the United Nations Climate Change Conference in Copenhagen, Denmark that South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) is concerned about the adverse effects of climate change in the South Asia region and stressed that the region has made no contribution to Green House Gas emissions.

World leaders are racing against the clock in an attempt to forge a deal on climate change in Copenhagen that hinges on resolving sharp differences between rich and poorer nations over emissions cuts and their monitoring.

Pallavi Aiyar / Copenhagen December 18, 2009, 0:58 IST

Pallavi Aiyar / Copenhagen December 18, 2009, 0:58 IST

Jairam RameshIt has been a prickly year for China-India ties with the Arunachal Pradesh boundary dispute poisoning bilateral rhetoric. In Copenhagen, Hindi-Chini Bhai Bhai is back in vogue with the two sides holding meetings up to six times a day, according to Environment Minister Jairam Ramesh.

Cutting emissions drastically is neither easy nor cheap, so the developed world is looking for scapegoats.

Pallavi Aiyar / Copenhagen December 18, 2009, 0:49 IST