Global Warming in an Unequal World argued that developing countries like India and China cannot be held equally responsible for global warming — the accumulation of carbon dioxide and methane, two of the important gases contributing to the problem, was mainly the result of the gargantuan consumption of the developed countries, particularly the US. The CSE report contested the suggestion that all greenhouse gas emissions were comparable, and differentiated between the ‘survival emissions’ related to activities like paddy cultivation and cattle rearing and ‘luxury emissions’ related to activities like automobile usage.

Global Warming in an Unequal World influenced the position of the Indian government and also the other developing countries. Developing countries pushed the industrialised countries to take responsibility for their emissions. They were not able to get a clear acceptance of the polluter pays principle as the basis of the climate change treaty that ensued, but only a weaker principle of "common but differentiated responsibility". This was an acceptance that while all countries had a responsibility to deal with climate change, this would be a "differentiated" responsibility, and industrialised countries would take action to reduce their greenhouse gas emissions first.

Since then, CSE has avidly argued for per capita entitlements to form the basis of any lasting cooperation between rich and poor countries to dealing with climate change.

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