The climate change meeting among some 192 countries appears to be headed for trouble and possible disruption as the United States and a few other countries show their unhappiness with negotiations on Kyoto Protocol, one of the two planks of intense discussion in Copenhagen.

At the plenary session on Saturday, secretary of ministry of environment and forests Vijai Sharma said that discussions on this track had virtually halted while negotiations on long-term commitments were going apace. “The developed countries are on strike on Kyoto Protocol,” Lumumba Stanislaus Di-Aping leader of group of 77+China told Financial Chronicle. The group represents around 130 developing nations.

Di-Aping said the developing nations will provide a “measured, but equivalent response to the developed nations’ action. Asked whether that would mean a breakdown of talks, he said “one thing is sure, without the Kyoto Protocol, there cannot be any basis for discussions.”

The protocol is a legally binding instrument ratified by most nations, except the United States which enjoins the developed nations to cut their greenhouse gas emissions. It also provides for carbon trading which transfer funds to clean processes in developing nations through a market mechanism.

The US was not a signatory to the protocol which comes to an end in 2012 and discussions have been on for over two years to extend it. On Thursday, the US special envoy on climate change Todd Stern had categorically rejected any “KP or KP like” agreement.

The minister of environment and forests Jairam Ramesh told Financial Chronicle that most developing nations were surprised by the US reaction. “Th-ey do appear to be ready sign and extension of the protocol because of domestic compulsions,” Ramesh said. At a later briefing he told reporters that ``if there is a failure at Copenhagen, India could not be held responsible'', in reference to the Kyoto protocol.

Asked if it was leading to a breakdown in talks, Ramesh said not for the moment, but added that various streams of discussions were “all moving towards each other,” and hopefully some kind of agreement may emerge. “These are all like the tributaries of ganges, all moving towards the main river of climate change agreement,” he said.

He said the developing countries and China were united in their resolve that discussion would have to be carried out on the two planks of discussion in Copenhagen— on Kyoto Protocol and the long term cooperative action. “There cannot be any third area of discussion for arriving at a treaty,” he said, even though he said he was aware that pace on the protocol had largely “slackened.”

The minister said there was a “complete convergence of thinking between India and China” on climate change and his three visits to that country had helped. “You establish a personal rapport with the leaders, and that helps in any negotiations.” He said his meeting with the US special envoy on climate change Todd Stern was “very pleasant,” and the two sides had stated their position, hoping to come to better understanding over the next few days.