India resisted pressure from developed countries at the climate conference in the United Arab Emirates to end the use of fossil fuels, Union Environment Minister Bhupender Yadav said on Tuesday.
Addressing a press conference here, the minister said India is committed to meeting the energy needs of its people and this cannot be done by “just importing oil and gas”.
“While India is committed to increasing its renewable energy capacity, we will have to rely on coal power until we achieve the objective of developed India,” he said.
The minister said India accounts for 17 per cent of the global population but its contribution to global carbon emissions is just four per cent. “Poverty eradication is a priority for many nations. So, we did not accept the pressure from developed countries (for a fossil fuel phase-out),” Yadav said.
The minister said developed nations, which account for a large part of historical emissions (since the start of the industrial revolution), are required to provide finance and technological support to developing countries to help them combat climate change.