BEIJING, May 10 (UPI) -- India said it wasn't optimistic about reaching a legally binding deal at the U.N. climate summit in Cancun, Mexico, at the end of the year.
"Whether it is one agreement (at Cancun) or a series of sub-agreements remains to be seen. But I am not very optimistic of one overarching legally binding agreement," Indian Environment Minister Jairam Ramesh said Saturday on the sides of a climate change conference hosted by China.
However, Ramesh said he is more hopeful about a series of "building block" agreements in areas such as forestry, technology and finance.
"Whether it adds up to an overall overarching legally binding agreement, I am not sure," he said.
He said India is against any kind of carbon tax "imposed by any developed country" on imports from India and China.
The conference, organized by China's National Development and Reform Commission, brought together environmental leaders and climate negotiators from Brazil, Mexico and South Africa.
Earlier, addressing the conference, Ramesh lauded China's progress in green areas, saying that it was set to become a global leader -- not only in research and development but also in manufacturing -- particularly in renewable energy and clean coal technology.
China, the world's top emitter of greenhouse gases, has said it aims to cut the country's energy intensity 20 percent by the end of 2010, a goal that is closely tied to its pledge to reduce carbon intensity by 40-45 percent by 2020.
India, too, had announced "aggressive" voluntary domestic actions, Ramesh emphasized, pointing to his country's pledge to cut its emissions intensity of gross domestic product by 20-25 percent by the year 2020 on 2005 reference levels.
Ramesh added that India aims to forge a closer partnership with China in the area of green technology.
China, for it's part, also wasn't optimistic about a successful outcome in Cancun.
"I think the possibility to reach a legally binding agreement is low in Cancun," said Xie Zhenhua, a vice chairman of China's National Development and Reform Commission, The Wall Street Journal reports. "There are only a few months left," he said, pointing out that many obstacles remain to be solved before the summit.
Xie said developed countries should transfer environmentally friendly technologies to developing nations and increase aid to poor nations.
While no conclusive statement was reached at this meeting, it served as a channel to promote larger climate change talks, said former Chinese Vice Premier Zeng Peiyan, who organized the conference.
