SME Times News Bureau | 03 Oct, 2015
India on Friday pledged to cut its emission levels by 33-35 percent
over the next 15 years in what Environment Minister Prakash Javadekar termed an
ambitious, fair and balanced commitment to protect the environment, married to
the country's own agenda for sustainable development.
Ahead of the crucial 21st meeting of the Conference of Parties under the United
Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change due in Paris from November 30 to
December 11, India made a 38-page submission under what is called the Intended
Nationally Determined Contributions (INDCs).
The submissions, called from the 196 parties (or countries) under the
framework, are to serve as the basis for negotiating an agreement laying the
path for a low-carbon, climate-resilient future. So far, 120 countries,
collectively accounting for 85.3 percent of global emissions, have made
submissions.
"Through this submission, India intends to reduce the emissions intensity
of its GDP by 33-35 percent by 2030 from 2005 level. This commitment is further
echoed in India's actions in climate change adaptation with the setting up of
its own 'National Adaptation Fund'," said New Delhi's document.
India's INDCs are "fair and ambitious", considering the fact that it
is balancing goals of a "low carbon emission pathway" and "all
developmental challenges the country faces today", it said, adding the
country's current policy framework also includes a favourable environment for a
rapid increase in renewable energy, move towards low carbon sustainable
development and adapting to impact of climate change.
"Accordingly, India's development plans will continue to lay a balanced
emphasis on economic development and environment," it said, recounting the
framework's mandate based on principles of equity, as also common but
differentiated responsibilities and respective capabilities of member-nations.
India's paper, the release of which coincides with Mahatma Gandhi's birth
anniversary, is based on the 1992 Kyoto convention and says that both in terms
of cumulative global emissions and per capita emission, it has caused much less
damage to the environment but its actions to mitigate climate change were fair
and ambitious.
"Much before the climate change debate began, Mahatma Gandhi, regarded as
the father of our nation, had said that we should act as 'trustees' and use
natural resources wisely as it is our moral responsibility to ensure that we
bequeath to the future generations a healthy planet," it said.
The issue of climate change, ahead of the Paris conference, has been high on
the Indian government's agenda and had figured in discussions Prime Minister
Narendra Modi had with leaders of several countries, notably the US, Britain,
France, Japan and Germany, during his visit to the US last month.
At a press conference here, Javadekar said: "India's contributions
represent the utmost ambitious action in the current state of development. The
world as a whole, including the developed world, needs to act more ambitiously.
I am positive we will become a part of the solution. We will produce
results."
He said India's expectation from Paris was a balanced pact with all components
- mitigation, adaptation, technology, finance and capacity building -
consistent with the principles and provisions of the convention. India also
wants predictable financing and technology to flow from the developed to the
developing world.
India also outlined in its document climate change's impact on its economy and
nation as a whole, noting it will need $206 billion between 2015 and 2030 to
implement actions in agriculture, forestry, fisheries infrastructure, water
resources and ecosystems to achieve the targets, not counting additional
investments needed to strengthen resilience and disaster management.
Quoting an Asian Development Bank study, it said the approximate adaptation
cost in the energy sector alone would roughly be about $7.7 billion in 2030s.
The paper said the efforts thus far on combating climate change has been
self-financed.
"However, our efforts to avoid emissions during our development process
are also tied to the availability and level of international financing and
technology transfer, since India still faces complex developmental challenges,"
it said.
The plan evoked wide appreciation, with some terming it "superior" to
the ones proposed by the developed nations.
"India's INDC is fair and is quite ambitious, specifically on renewable
energy and forestry," said Centre for Science and Environment (CSE)
director general Sunita Narain.
The CSE said India's INDC was as good as China's and better than of the US
given both these countries have higher emissions and were economically more
capable of reducing them to mitigate climate change.
Narain said that INDCs submitted by all major countries indicate that the world
is not on a path to the 2 degree Celsius target and this "would be
disastrous for poor people across the world".
solar energy major SunSource Energy co-founder and CEO Adarsh Das said India's
INDCs showed real responsibility and farsightedness, and the "goals, while
somewhat aggressive, will provide the right boost to economy-wide efforts
towards reducing carbon and resource intensity".
Paharpur Business Centre chief executive officer Kamal Meattle termed it
"a very welcome announcement" and ActionAid India executive director
Sandeep Chachra called the plan far "superior" to ones proposed by
the US and the European Union.