India holds out against pollution ‘pressure’ ahead of climate summits

NEW DELHI: India, one of the world’s major carbon producers and fastest growing economies, insisted on Wednesday Europe, China and America must finance its efforts to halt rising temperatures ahead of major climate talks.

Although the third biggest carbon dioxide emitter globally, thanks to a heavy reliance on coal, India has set ambitious targets to curb emissions. But Environment Minister Prakash Javedkar said they would not pay for the pollution "suffering" inflicted over the past century by the United States, China and Europe.

India, which has complained that money promised at previous environmental summits has not been provided, would not act under "pressure from other countries". Javedkar spoke at a debate in New Delhi with France’s Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian, the latest international envoy to urge more ambitious targets ahead of November’s UN climate conference in Glasgow.