The Little Mermaid statue in Copenhagen

World leaders are gearing up for a 12-day conference at Copenhagen next month to discuss climate concerns and work out a new treaty ahead of 2012, when the Kyoto Protocol runs out.

The summit, to be held between December 7 and 18, will discuss the financing of initiatives to mitigate climate change in developing countries, among other things.

What can Calcutta and its surroundings — repeatedly tagged as climate hot spots — expect from Copenhagen? Precious little, feel environment experts.

State environment minister Sailen Sarkar had recently written to the central environment and forest minister, Jayram Ramesh, urging him to raise the Sunderbans issue at the national level and at Copenhagen.

Ramesh wrote back that he “entirely” shared Sarkar’s concern. “I would certainly like a national initiative… not only to protect but also to enhance the long-term ecological sustainability of this critical delta area,” Ramesh said, but stopped short of committing to raise the matter at Copenhagen.

Sarkar is still hopeful. “Calcutta and the region, including the Sunderbans, should receive financial support from the international climate adaptation fund and technology transfer after the Copenhagen meet,” he told Metro.

Experts are, however, not so optimistic. “As of now, little is expected from Copenhagen for Calcutta and its hinterland. Support on mitigation is hardly likely,” said Jayanta Bandapadhyay of the Indian Institute of Management, Calcutta. He said that at best we could expect a good adaptation (adjustment to climate-triggered changes) deal if our negotiators bargained “properly”.

“There are so many international reports highlighting the vulnerability of Calcutta and the region but hardly any international financial and technical assurances to meet the problem,” rued Asis Ghosh, the former director of the Zoological Survey of India.

A state government official argued that with the focus on the sea level rise in the Sunderbans and the frequent occurrence and growing severity of tropical storms, Calcutta’s vulnerability needed to be taken up at the earliest. “There should be major support after Copenhagen,” he said.

Will this, too, remain a wish list?