LIMA, Peru — President Obama’s breakthrough deal with China to rein in fossil fuel emissions puts the spotlight squarely on India and other major economies as the world’s governments gather in Peru in search of a plan to fight climate change.

Carbon dioxide emissions will jump 34 percent in India by 2020 and double by 2030 under its existing policies, according to the International Energy Agency. A promise by the planet’s third largest polluter behind the United States and China to limit emissions would send a message to the world that every country needs to contribute to the fight against climate change.

Having India on board is politically essential, both to advance a United Nations push toward a global agreement, and for Obama to gain support for his deal with China. The Senate rejected the 1997 climate deal signed in Kyoto, Japan, because its limits only applied to rich nations.

“No one expects India to make the same kind of pledge that China did – an absolute peak – but they want to see some fairly ambitious effort,” said Alden Meyer, who has been following the talks for more than two decades for the Union of Concerned Scientists in Washington. “They will be expected to say something about where they stand in their preparations.”

The move by the U.S. and China marked a diplomatic step forward in the UN talks on global warming. Under the agreement, the U.S. pledged to cut greenhouse gas emissions to 26 to 28 percent below 2005 levels by 2025. China said it will cap emissions by 2030 and turn to renewable sources for 20 percent of the country’s energy.

Previously, China sat with India, Brazil and South Africa in arguing that rich countries created the problem and should pay to fix it.


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