BASIC, Africa ready with joint draft on climate:Ramesh

Disappointed with some of the stiff conditions in the climate change draft treaty, India

RELATED ARTICLES Most Indians optimistic about 2012: Poll

in close co-ordination with China and several countries including from Africa, have prepared an integrated document emphasising on "equitable access" to atmospheric space for all.

The integrated draft of a potential treaty prepared by the BASIC countries (Brazil, South Africa, India and China) has been merged with another text prepared by the Africa group within the G77, Environment Minister Jairam Ramesh said.

"We have merged the Africa draft and the BASIC draft. We now have a common Africa-Basic draft but we are not unveiling it now," he told PTI.

Ahead of the ministerial-level meeting, Ramesh said that India would not compromise on its three key principles -- no legally binding emission cuts, no peaking year and no international review of domestic-funded mitigation actions.

"India will not compromise on its 'teen-murti'," he said adding that the outcome of the talks must be within the UN Framework on Climate Change, stick to the Kyoto Protocol and abide by the Bali Action Plan.

"Some countries think that we are going to do a new convention. Some countries think we're going to do a new protocol. So we made it absolutely clear that India is here not to renegotiate the three murthi," the minister said.

"I have made it absolutely clear that we're not here to negotiate a new agreement, we have not come here to negotiate a new protocol," he said.