India won¡¯t bend to demands from the Obama administration or threats from the U.S. Congress to adopt legally binding caps on its carbon emissions, the country¡¯s environment minister told visiting U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton yesterday.

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There is simply no case for the pressure¡± the U.S. is exerting, considering India produces among the lowest per capita emissions in the world, Minister Jairam Ramesh told Clinton during an unexpected discussion of climate negotiations during an event intended to showcase U.S.-Indian cooperation on clean energy at a ¡°green¡± office building outside New Delhi.

¡°As if this pressure was not enough, we also face the threat of carbon tariffs on our exports to countries such as yours,¡± Ramesh said, referring to a climate-change bill passed by the U.S. House of Representatives on June 26 that imposes tariffs on exports from countries that refuse to adopt greenhouse gas controls by 2020.

The discussion between senior officials underscored the delicacy of the Obama administration¡¯s efforts to forge a United Nations climate treaty in Copenhagen this December. The U.S. and European countries must offer financial incentives and equitable reductions in carbon emissions to ensure any deal won¡¯t hinder growth, food security and poverty alleviation in developing nations such as India, China and Brazil, Ramesh said.

Clinton said ¡°no one wants to, in any way, stall or undermine the economic growth that is necessary to lift millions of more people out of poverty.¡±

Sustainable Development

¡°But we also believe that there is a way to eradicate poverty and develop sustainably that will lower significantly the carbon footprint of the energy that is produced and consumed to fuel that growth,¡± the U.S. secretary said.

Clinton, the highest-ranking Obama administration official to visit India, is in New Delhi today after two days here and in Mumbai for talks and events highlighting commercial ties, counter-terrorism efforts and scientific cooperation, and to work through differences on climate change, proliferation and U.S. concerns over Iran, an important trading partner of India¡¯s.

Clinton¡¯s special envoy on climate, Todd Stern, accompanied her on the visit to ITC Ltd.¡¯s hotel chain, an award-winning energy efficient building in the outskirts of New Delhi, and will meet with Ramesh and other senior officials in coming days.

¡°We look upon you suspiciously because you have not fulfilled¡± the commitments made by developed countries in earlier climate treaties, Ramesh told Clinton and Stern, adding there¡¯s a ¡°credibility crisis¡± that industrialized nations will have to overcome in their demands of poor nations.

Understanding the Argument

Clinton said she understood ¡°completely¡± India¡¯s argument about the developing world¡¯s low per capita emissions. ¡°But what is happening now,¡± she said, is that absolute emissions from fast-growing developing economies, especially China, are ¡°going up, and dramatically.¡±

India has a comprehensive national action plan on climate change, Ramesh said. He suggested collaborating with the U.S. on research and development of projects, environment planning, regulation and management, and building institutional capacity for continuing research.

In December, negotiators from more than 180 nations will meet in Copenhagen to broker a new treaty to fight global warming by limiting the release of gases from burning fossil fuels and clearing forests.

Eradicating Poverty

¡°Both of us reiterated our commitment to arriving at an agreement at Copenhagen that takes note of the imperative of doing something quickly but also takes note of the special concerns of countries like India for continuing with their path of economic growth with the objective of poverty eradication,¡± Ramesh told reporters after the closed-door session. ¡°I think this has been a good beginning.¡±

¡°Legally binding¡± emissions targets won¡¯t be acceptable for India, Ramesh added. ¡°It¡¯s going to be impossible to sell in our democratic system.¡±

Clinton said she is confident that the U.S. and India can devise a plan that changes the way energy is produced, consumed and conserved, helping to create additional investments and jobs. The two countries must also expand the use of renewable energy in India, especially for rural electrification.

¡°There is no question that developed countries like mine must lead on this issue and for our part, under President Obama, we are not only acknowledging our contributions to greenhouse gas emissions and climate change, we are taking steps to reverse its ill effects,¡± Clinton said. ¡°It is essential for major developing countries like India to also lead because over 80 percent of the growth in future emissions will be from developing countries.¡±

Clinton is scheduled to go to Thailand tomorrow, where she will attend meetings of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations in Phuket.