India says watered down climate text likely in Italy

By Krittivas Mukherjee

NEW DELHI (Reuters) - A meeting of a 17-country group of the world's worst polluters in Italy this week will likely agree on a token joint declaration because President Obama will be chairing, Indian officials said on Sunday.

The 17-member Major Economies Forum (MEF) is trying to agree on a climate plan on the sidelines of a G8 summit in Italy. A substantive pact would go a long way in defining a new U.N. climate treaty due to be agreed in Copenhagen in December.

The MEF members, who discussed a draft text in Mexico last month, account for 80 percent of global emissions.

Officials said persistent differences, particularly over the size of reductions in carbon emissions and the base year for comparisons, might scupper efforts to agree a joint declaration and result instead in a chairman's summary of countries' views.

However, a top Indian climate official said: "A chair's summary would have been seen as a failure, and given that President Obama is chairing the MEF meeting there is going to be a political declaration."

"Whether it is going to be a meaningless or meaningful document is left to the reader's judgment."

Leaders of MEF nations are due to meet on Thursday, July 9 on the sidelines of the G8 summit. But climate officials are holding urgent negotiations on Tuesday to agree on the MEF declaration.

The current draft statement, discussed at talks in Mexico last month, omits a base year for emission comparisons and there is disagreement over language and nuances on long-term goals, Indian diplomats said.