A senior Indian negotiator says his country will cut back its use of coal, if sufficient cash for renewables emerges from a Paris deal, reports BBC online Wednesday.
Dr Ajay Mathur said coal would be restricted if there was help to pay for "more expensive" green energy.
India's national climate plan, submitted ahead of this meeting, suggests a significant role for coal going forward.
The country is planning on expanding its production of coal to 1.5 billion tonnes of the fuel by 2020. That would require the equivalent of opening one new coal mine every month until the end of this decade.
India's need for coal is driven by the huge numbers who do not have electricity, estimated to be around 300 million people.
On Wednesday, Dr Mathur, adopted a conciliatory line. He argues that the cost of solar energy, which has declined by 75 per cent in 4 years, is still double the cost of coal.
But if cash was provided to make the capital investments in renewables cheaper, India would use more sun and wind, and less coal.
On the other hand, the country had to find a different way of doing it, compared to the greenest European countries, he said.
"What I am truly fearful about is say if India moves onto a path of Denmark, and even has two cars for 10 people, we will be swamped. Even the Denmark paradigm does not work for us."
