The world may have agreed to 2 degrees Celsius rise in temperature by 2050, but it will not be long before there is an agreement on 1.5 degrees Celsius, if the Copenhagen accord fructifies.

Rise in temperature was one of biggest debates in Copenhagen, with rich countries and developing economies such as India insisting on 2 degrees Celsius rise in temperature and island nations, led by Tavulu (a small island country in Pacific), and least developed nations insisting on 1.5 degrees to survive the onslaught of climate change.

To appease poor nations, the Copenhagen accord mentioned 1.5 degree Celsius.

"The objectives and the implementation of the accord will be assessed and the process of assessment will be completed by 2015 in order to consider further strengthening the possibility of long term goal of liming the temperature rise to below 1.5 degrees Celsius," the Copenhagen accord document said.

If this happens, India's development pathway will be hit. Under the 2 degrees scenario, WWF-India had projected that India's carbon emissions will peak by 2025 and stabilise by 2045. After that, it would start declining.

Environment and Forest Minister Jairam Ramesh also agreed that India's emissions will have to peak in this century but refused to specify the year by which it should happen.

In case of 1.5 degree Celsius, the window of emission growth for India is much less. Its emissions will have to peak and stabilise by 2018, making it difficult for India to grow at 8-9 per cent a year.

"We cannot allow our growth to be jeopardised to achieve 1.5," Ramesh said.