In the run-up to the Rio+20 Earth Summit, India continues to emphasise the principle of equity as forming the foundation for climate change negotiations.

“I would like to reiterate that the bottom line remains equity,” said minister of environment Jayanthi Natarajan addressing a special session on Biodiversity at the 12th Delhi Sustainable Development Summit. Ms Natarajan’s statement came a day after Prime Minister Manmohan Singh had endorsed her stand at the UNFCCC meet at Durban conference
“With just 2.4 per cent of the land area, India accounts for nearly seven per cent of the recorded species even while supporting 18 per cent of both cattle and human population,” she said.
“India needed to address the issue of biodiversity as more than 300 people were dependent on biodiversity for their livelihoods,” she said.
Highlighting some key decisions taken in Durban, she said, “We ensured that a rule based multilateral system anchored in the convention remains the template of our actions.”