India in Six-Nation clean technology pact

The US joined 5 Asia-Pacific nations, Australia, China, Japan, India and South Korea to build a six-nation grouping that aims at reducing global greenhouse gas emissions through new technology. The member nations account for about half the world's population - and half the greenhouse gas emissions too.

On the Action Agenda

"Technology that enables coal to be burned more efficiently and captures carbon dioxide before it reaches the atmosphere is top of the agenda" - Guardian

"... the six countries might work on developing benign technologies related to bio-energy, geothermal power, liquefied natural gas, methane, non-polluting coal, nuclear power, rural energy, and solar and wind power. Long-term projects could include creating safe energy from nuclear fission and fusion." - Times

So you will cooperate on nuclear power? Isnt this announcement suspiciously close to the US announcing that they will share nuclear power technology with India?

"...[Member] countries will focus on developing low emissions technologies and transferring them from developed to developing countries. Private industry will be given incentives to invest. A fund will also be established by partner members to help develop technology-based solutions." - The Australian

Is this treaty about undermining Kyoto?

Of the six, Japan has committed to a 6% reduction under Kyoto. India and China, as developing countries did not have reduction targets. Australia and the US did not sign up for reductions alleging... whatever.

Further, "Talks on the pact have been going on in secret for 12 months but it was only at the last minute that Japan was approached and decided to join. Suspicion of US motives was fuelled by the fact that the EU and Tony Blair were not informed of the plan, even though climate change was a big item on the agenda of last month's G8 meeting".

This is what The Australian had to say: THE Kyoto Protocol is over. Get over it. It doesn't have a future if the US-inspired Asia-Pacific Partnership for Clean Development and Climate gets off the ground. The ballast on the issue of global warming and climate change is shifting to the New World - now including China and India - and away from the punitive system of limits and targets set by Old Europe for 2008-12.

Among others, Rueters called it the "Beyond Kyoto" pact.

Now this new pact has no emission reduction targets - good intentions are all that count. So if it manages to become as big as the Kyoto pact, then its members will not look so bad for not having signed Kyoto, and yet will be under no signed obligation to reduce emissions. It is thus getting called, "Self-Serving".