India should stand firm in confronting developed and polluting countries on their commitments to GHG emission.
However, our stand should not be a license to our polluting industries to carry out business as usual. The carbon footprint of many of our industries including power and steel have to improve even if we don't accept an emmission target.
To me, the new potential UNFCC protocol should be an opportunity for Indian businesses and enterprises to take lead in developing solutions to mitigate climate change. We should not be in a situation, where a decade from now, we are still looking towards the west seeking technology transfers because we cannot develop one for ourselves! Its time for our government, corporations and businesses with global ambitions, our town planners, our universities, our NGOs and individuals to show the way.
Targets or not, India needs to show greater resolve and commitment to rationalise its own performance in climate change mitigation.
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Priorities of Mr.Jairam Ramesh, Minister, Environment and Forests :
1. significantly improve India's natural forest cover;
2. establish an environmental grievance redressal regime that is effective, speedy and fair;
3. chalk out an effective climate change agenda that is both pragmatic and self-sustaining.
Taking actions to reduce climate change is going to be a tough business. On one hand one can never disregard the need for considerations of differential responsibilities and on the other hand it is clearly the need of the hour for even the developing countries to think seriously about GHG reductions.
Parties like US do not appear to understand their responsibilities and are not working positively towards coming together as one planet to resolve the problems. As a nation, India needs to hold its ground and the current stand. But at the same time, being a responsible nation, we should take serious efforts to reduce the entropy that is being created as an outcome of growth economy and uncontrolled development. After all, the effects of climate change though are global, they first appear as changes in local environment and with the current rate of emissions, we are only making it more difficult for ourselves...
I feel that India wants to be the deal-maker and in order to hold on to that it has to move with the current diplomacy on the negotiating table. I feel what Mr Jairam Ramesh has expressed his personal feelings overwhelmed by US' warmth and what has leaked is not India's stand.
I personally appreciate the level of diplomacy India reached within the last five years especially around climate change negotiations under the leadership of Mr Shyam Saran, which secured a high seat for India at the negotiating table. The feelings of Mr Jairam Ramesh is going to somewhat dilute India's stand but an official clarification from Mr Manmohan Singh would clear the clouds. I have sympathy with the India's negotiating team at MEF who are facing the brunt of this news. India will continue to lead the G-77 bloc and come out with an agreement which will benefit mankind in general and the poor in particular.
I dont think India should accept for any quantified targets in negotiations. The current stand of India on this issue is absolutely fine, do not require any shifts. Infact, as we can see under CDM/Volutary carbon mechanisms, there are huge number of projects undertaken/budding in RE/Emission free sectors in India. This clearly indicates our voluntary action to invest in these technologies. Adding to this, Indian govt last year announced its climate policy, promoting more Renewable energy/Energy efficiency activities in the country as part of their action to mitigate climate change. On contrary, the Joint implementation program under kyoto, aimed for implementation of RE/emission free projects in developed nations, still dormant. This is probably due to their heavy dependency on fossils and indicates, their priority seems not much on GHG reductions on their own and the matter of sincerity towards GHG reductions (Just want to pay some bucks to developing nations to do their job).
Here my point is, Developed nations seems to pass on some of their burden to developing nations, rather than holding the real responsibility. After all, they are mostly causative of industrialization and anthropogenic climate change.
Replies
However, our stand should not be a license to our polluting industries to carry out business as usual. The carbon footprint of many of our industries including power and steel have to improve even if we don't accept an emmission target.
To me, the new potential UNFCC protocol should be an opportunity for Indian businesses and enterprises to take lead in developing solutions to mitigate climate change. We should not be in a situation, where a decade from now, we are still looking towards the west seeking technology transfers because we cannot develop one for ourselves! Its time for our government, corporations and businesses with global ambitions, our town planners, our universities, our NGOs and individuals to show the way.
Targets or not, India needs to show greater resolve and commitment to rationalise its own performance in climate change mitigation.
1. significantly improve India's natural forest cover;
2. establish an environmental grievance redressal regime that is effective, speedy and fair;
3. chalk out an effective climate change agenda that is both pragmatic and self-sustaining.
Parties like US do not appear to understand their responsibilities and are not working positively towards coming together as one planet to resolve the problems. As a nation, India needs to hold its ground and the current stand. But at the same time, being a responsible nation, we should take serious efforts to reduce the entropy that is being created as an outcome of growth economy and uncontrolled development. After all, the effects of climate change though are global, they first appear as changes in local environment and with the current rate of emissions, we are only making it more difficult for ourselves...
I personally appreciate the level of diplomacy India reached within the last five years especially around climate change negotiations under the leadership of Mr Shyam Saran, which secured a high seat for India at the negotiating table. The feelings of Mr Jairam Ramesh is going to somewhat dilute India's stand but an official clarification from Mr Manmohan Singh would clear the clouds. I have sympathy with the India's negotiating team at MEF who are facing the brunt of this news. India will continue to lead the G-77 bloc and come out with an agreement which will benefit mankind in general and the poor in particular.
Here my point is, Developed nations seems to pass on some of their burden to developing nations, rather than holding the real responsibility. After all, they are mostly causative of industrialization and anthropogenic climate change.