Prime Minister Manmohan at Copenhagen Summit

On Friday at Copenhagen, India stood firmly on the side of the developing world, the small island nations and the Least Developed Countries, as they will be the worst sufferers of the disasters of climate change, as the Copenhagen Climate Summit reached its final hours, and Prime Minister Manmohan Singh said global regimes tackling climate change must take sustainable development into account.

He announced the cuts India will be going ahead with regard to the targets for the years 2020 / 2022, and outlined clean technologies, strategies to limit deforestation and increase forest cover, implementing solar energy resources based energy solutions and overall strategy to combat climate change, regardless of what the rich countries are committing. Watch the video for the key areas he addressed.

Earlier Manmohan Singh said, "As we embark on future negotiations, we'd do well to take stock of what we have learnt in the last two years. I draw 3 lessons: First, the vast majority of countries don't support any renegotiating or dilution of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), in particular the principles of equity, the common but differentiated responsibilities and respective capabilities to act against climate change…”

Manmohan Singh emphasized the importance of the Bali Action Plan worked out in 2007, saying, "The plan commits us to enhancing the implementation of the convention (UNFCCC). To settle for something that would be seen as diminished expectation and diminished implementation would be a very wrong view to emerge out of this conference."

On Kyoto Protocol, under which rich countries have to reduce their greenhouse gas emissions, he said it should ‘continue to stand as valid legal instrument. Parties (countries) have to stick to their commitments.’

On India, the Prime Minister said, "as we're among countries most likely to be severely impacted by climate change", and he explained the steps taken unilaterally by India; ‘the eight missions’ including the ambitious solar mission under the National Action Plan on Climate Change, and ‘the reduction in emissions intensity per unit of GDP by 20 per cent by 2020, compared to 2005’.

"We will deliver (on these actions) regardless of the outcome of this conference, but we can do even more if a supportive global climate regime is put in place," he said, and continued, "It is a difficult task. I hope we can all play positive and constructive roles to bridge differences for an equitable outcome. India won't be found wanting in this regard."