Jairam Ramesh, India’s environment minister, criticized the climate change legislation introduced in the U.S. Senate this week, saying it would provide for only a “measly” reduction in greenhouse gas emissions. Ramesh said the Senate bill, which calls for a 20 percent cut in emissions by 2020, fell short 
of what would be needed to get India to make binding commitments of its own at upcoming international climate talks in Copenhagen. But Ramesh, who has criticized the developed nations for failing to take the lead on battling climate change, said India was prepared to move forward with its own national programs, including imposing vehicle emissions standards, assuring energy efficiency in buildings, increasing renewable and nuclear energy, and expanding forest cover. Speaking at a U.S.-India energy conference in Washington, D.C., sponsored by Yale University and The Energy and Resources Institute, Ramesh expressed optimism that the Copenhagen talks would make progress on such issues as energy-technology transfer among nations, forest conservation, and adaptation to climate change. He said India was “not going to be a stumbling block in Copenhagen,” but that a follow-up conference might be needed next year.
Jairam Ramesh