By TIOL News Service

NEW DELHI, APR 21, 2015: MINISTER of State for Environment, Forest and Climate Change, Mr Prakash Javadekar has said that climate change is a challenge and not a business opportunity. Speaking at the Major Economies Forum meeting that took place in Washington D.C on April 19-20, 2015, Mr Javadekar said that the developed world should not profit from disaster. Reiterating India's commitment for a fair and equitable agreement at Paris this year, the Minister said that we have to work like ants to build the Earth.

Following is the text of Mr Javadekar's speech at the Major Economies Forum:

"India is committed to walk along the road to Paris, hand-in-hand with others for a fair and equitable agreement this year. But it would not join bullying tactics and will not allow yet another Copenhagen in Paris. The days of bulldozing have gone and now we have to work like ants to build the Earth together.

Paris will succeed only if we restrict to ensure that every country present their INDCs and that they get implemented. For compliance, the developed world must fulfil it's financial commitment. It will also have to ensure that at the very least, critical technologies are available at affordable cost. The developed world should not profit from disaster. Climate change is a challenge and not business opportunity.

India has already initiated a very ambitious action plan for renewable energy and India will walk energy efficiency path effectively. Our emission intensity is getting reduced as per our planning. Even the IPCC Emission Gap Report has certified that India is on the dot in the implementation.

The cycle of INDCs should be 10 years and drivers for updating should be science, as it evolves, and technologies, as they develop. There is a need for large- scale behavioral change Programmes to be undertaken. All countries need to ensure that fuel consumption does not increase in the period when petrol prices are lower.

We should discuss ideas like decarbonisation, long term goals on forums like Major Economies Forum. But we should not bring on table any new idea/item for Paris at this late hour. Let us not try to put new targets which will not be sustainable.

India wants that each party should consider adjustments on the basis of historical responsibilities and equitable sharing of global atmospheric resources and carbon space in the context of imperatives of poverty eradication, universal energy access and sustainable development for developing countries. India also expects that there needs to be urgent and immediate ambitious actions in the pre- 2020 period, and it must not be delayed by developed countries. Any delays threaten the credibility of their ambition and commitment to combat climate change.

Let us ensure that all countries submit their INDCs and ensure and create an ambience whereby they will be implemented. That is the sure formula for success in Paris."