Climate accord no threat to India: Pachauri

UN Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change chief R K Pachauri said on Wednesday agreeing to 'international consultation and analysis' in the Copenhagen Accord in no way challenges India's sovereignty.

"I don't think the provisions of international consultations and analysis in the Accord gives anybody the right to challenge anybody. It does not carry any weight," Pachauri told reporters in New Delhi.

His observation supports the view of the government that 'international verification and analysis' in a limited, non-legally binding Accord did not compromise the national interest.

"The term is so innocuous that it can't be interpreted as loss of sovereignty on our part. I think our interest has not been touched in any way.

"Moreover, The four BASIC counties (India, South Africa, Brazil and China) will stick together and won't let anyone (including US) push them over this provision," Pachauri who heads The Energy and Resources Institute maintained.

White House adviser David Axelrod had said recently, "Following the Accord, we (the US) will be able to review what India and China are doing (on climate front). We are going to be able to challenge them if they do not meet those goals."

Pointing that the US want to win domestic favour, Pachauri said, "They want to tell their people that with this provision, the US has got consensus on part of other countries and can convince the Senate to support the climate change measures the government plans to take," he said.

On Tuesday, environment minister Jairam Ramesh had said in the Rajya Sabha that the US wanted to use the words 'review or scrutiny or assessment' in the Accord 'but our answer was consultation and analysis, within clearly defined guidelines that would not affect national sovereignty'.

"And we have succeeded in including the words 'consultation and analysis' which respect our national interest. . .We have a long experience of consultation and analysis and we are confident that we have no threat," he had said.

The Accord was finalised at a meeting between the heads of India, China, South Africa, Brazil and the US in Copenhagen last Friday.

Image: R K Pachauri