From the way the Indian delegation went about its business at COP-IV, it was apparent that they had come to Kuching with a mandate to protect India's economic interests. What was missing, however, was a perspective as far as the environment was concerned.

For one, India wanted to discuss the position paper of the Technical Working Group (TWG) at the plenary. "You can't adopt a list which is a part of a position paper. And you cannot make an amendment unless it has been approved by the plenary session,' says Indrani Chandrashekaran, director, ministry of environment and forests (MEF), India's representative at COP-IV, who also represents India at the TWG.

The argument made little sense as COP-IV president Hajah Rosnani Ibrahim had done exactly that. The list was adopted only after all objections had been answered. What India sought in clarification should have been sorted out at the TWG, not at COP-IV.

Speaking to Down To Earth , Chandrashekaran said that India was keen to force a committee to examine items on the lists, as it would like to see some amendments. She said that India would like waste oil and lead acid batteries, which are on the banned list, to be freely traded. D B Boralkar of the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB), also a part of the Indian delegation, said that India was curious to know how the Annex VII