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PM hits out at industrial nations on climate change issue

Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee lashed out at industrial nations for demanding greater commitments from developing countries for preventing climate change.

Vajpayee said such demands were misplaced in view of lower green house gas emissions and per capita incomes in the third world.

He was addressing the eighth United Nations Framework Conference on Climate Change in New Delhi on Wednesday.

He said the developing countries have to address basic human needs first and strengthen areas such as agriculture, food and nutrition. The industrialised nations need to provide aid to developing countries to recover from natural disasters.

"Climate change mitigation will bring additional strain to the already fragile economies of the developing countries," he said. "Tragically, however, developing countries will bear a disproportionate burden of the adverse impacts of climate change."

Vajpayee asserted that coal would continue to be the most important source of energy in India in the future and the government was promoting many technological innovations for energy efficiency, ensuring such innovations do not adversely affect the environment.

"Our energy policies are ensuring rapid progress towards market-determined energy pricing, conservation of forests and wildlife, and participation of local communities in forest management," he said.

Describing the Indian economy as one of the fastest growing in the world, the prime minister said, "A major part of this growth is due to service sectors, including information technology, bio-technology, media and entertainment where energy consumption is low."

Listing out various renewable energy efficiency measures taken by India, he said, "We are among the leading nations in wind power production, vigorously promoting the use of solar energy in both thermal and electricity generation modes, and steadily increasing the share of hydropower and natural gas in our energy mix."

Vajpayee said that climate change has emerged as the most serious environmental concern and the convention has provided an opportunity for global cooperation in addressing the challenges to achieve sustainable development -- a world free of hunger, poverty and disease.

The prime minister also released commemorative stamps to mark the occasion.

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