The day Prime Minister Manmohan Singh reiterated that India would never exceed the average per capita emissions of the developed countries, United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change executive secretary Yvo De Boer said the developing countries would have to limit growth of their emissions.

India’s per capita carbon emissions is 1.1 tonne, one-fourth of the world average and 26-times less than the average of the rich countries.

While participating in an international conference on technology and climate change, Boer said any agreement at Copenhagen would need to include ambitious emissions cuts for industrialised countries, limit the growth of emissions from developing nations and give significant financial support to help poor nations comply with the targets.

He also outlined that $10 million was immediately required for mitigation and adaptation and the figure would increase to $300 billion by 2020. “To provide this money rich countries want commitment from growing economies on mitigation.”

He emphasised that there was a need to reform the Clean Development Mechanism, a system for transfer of funds and technology to the poorer nations. In 60 per cent of projects registered under CDM, clean technologies have been transferred to the developing world.

Stating that the CDM has worked for developing countries, Singh called for establishment of appropriate financial arrangements to facilitate technology transfers.

India has received funds worth $1 million as compared to expected $4.5 million. “Hopefully as the new technology spreads more widely the costs involved will fall making it more affordable,” the PM said.

Singh’s view that easy technology transfer should be adopted for climate change, however, did not find much favour with Boer. “It would be injustice to thousands of companies, which have invested huge money to develop clean technologies,” Boer said.

Maldives President Mohammed Nasheed, who also participated in the conference, said a new deal was essential. “On the issue of climate change ... radical change is what’s required,” he said.