India says it could agree to “implicit” carbon emissions targets as part of a global climate change deal by passing domestic legislation. Such law would contain commitments to taking concrete measures to control greenhouse gases as India's economy grows.
The shift in India's position came before a meeting yesterday called by Ban Ki-moon, the United Nations secretary-general, in which nearly 100 heads of state and government gathered to focus on climate change. President Barack Obama of the US and Hu Jintao, the Chinese president – whose countries are two of the world's biggest carbon emitters – also addressed the UN summit amid rising optimism that China is likely to take action on its emissions.
India's shift shows that the government is prepared to show flexibility in the quest for a global climate change deal in Copenhagen in a few months. India is the world's fourth largest carbon emitter.