U Sudhakar Reddy India faces tremendous pres sure to sign the deal in Copen hagen. But experts feel that climate change is about sharing atmospheric space and economic growth. The rich have to cut carbon emission so the rest can grow and there shall not be cli mate injustice. Even by 2020, with almost one-fifth of the world's population residing in India, the country's share of greenhouse gas emissions is expected to rise by just seven per cent.As the pressure is building up on developing nations, including India, to seal the deal at the United Nations Climate Change Conference in Copenhagen in December, noted Indian environmental experts are cautioning that no deal is better than a bad deal when it comes to crucial cuts in carbon emissions.
Substantial cuts in greenhouse gas emissions -- the prime cause of climate change -- is seen as stunting a country's economic growth. India is far behind the United States and the European Union in per capita carbon emissions. India, with its many poor people, also uses less electricity and fuel due to the high prices and the Indian lifestyle.
Stanford University, Indian Institute of TechnologyChennai, and the energy NGO Prayas have come out with an overview of Indian energy trends, which highlights India's low carbon growth pattern and the development challenges it faces. The challenge before India at Copenhagen is not to be seen as a "deal breaker" and yet at the same time to protect its own interests.
Though India is the fourth largest emitter of greenhouse gases, after China, the United States and Russia, the per capita CO2 emission is only 1.3 tonnes, which is well below the world average of 4.4 tonnes. In terms of per capita emissions, one US citizen is the equivalent of 19 Indians and 107 Bangladeshis.
Even by 2020, with almost one-fifth of the world's population residing in India, the country's share of greenhouse gas emissions is expected to rise by just seven per cent.
Mr Girish Sant of the Prayas Energy Group in Pune says, "The drivers for this situation is our low carbon lifestyle pattern such as vegetarianism, high use of non-motorised modes of transport and public transportation, high industrial energy prices, energy efficiency improvement in select industries and use of renewable energies." India's electricity tariffs are the highest in the world and gasoline and diesel cost more than they do in the US and China. The transportation sector in India is responsible for only about 15 per cent of total commercial energy consumption; globally, transportation makes up about a quarter of total energy demand.
Ms Sunita Narain, director of the Centre for Science and Environment, says that climate change is "real and urgent and it needs us to act quickly and drastically. But climate change is linked to economic growth."
If annual emissions remain at today's level, greenhouse gas emissions would be close to 550 ppm by 2050 and this would mean a rise in earth's temperature of 3 to 5 degrees centigrade, with disastrous consequences.
Developed countries have been saying that they will reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 80 per cent by 2050, but want developing countries too to accept emission reduction targets.
"Now there is pressure on India and China. Climate change is about sharing atmospheric space and economic growth. The rich have to reduce so the rest can grow and there shall not be climate injustice. Cooperation demands equity and fairness which is the pre-requisite for an effective climate agreement. The trajectory of growth has been to first pollute, get rich and then clean up. We are being asked to clean up before we get rich! Then, again, technologies that exist are expensive."
Ms Narain says industrialised countries have to make deep cuts (40 per cent by 2020). The emerging rich and the rest have to participate not by taking legally binding cuts but through a strategy to avoid future emissions.
"We need an effective climate agreement. We need a balanced climate agreement.Asking for it is not wrong.We must not mind being hated in the rich man's world," she said.
Dr Prodipto Ghosh, India's climate change negotiator said, "Developed countries have to be responsible to the historical accumulation and current levels and must be sincere in their discussions.They should stick to the Bali action plan. There is not the slightest change in India's stand. The Indian and Chinese delegations stood by each other in discussions and will continue to do so."
Substantial cuts in greenhouse gas emissions -- the prime cause of climate change -- is seen as stunting a country's economic growth. India is far behind the United States and the European Union in per capita carbon emissions. India, with its many poor people, also uses less electricity and fuel due to the high prices and the Indian lifestyle.
Stanford University, Indian Institute of TechnologyChennai, and the energy NGO Prayas have come out with an overview of Indian energy trends, which highlights India's low carbon growth pattern and the development challenges it faces. The challenge before India at Copenhagen is not to be seen as a "deal breaker" and yet at the same time to protect its own interests.
Though India is the fourth largest emitter of greenhouse gases, after China, the United States and Russia, the per capita CO2 emission is only 1.3 tonnes, which is well below the world average of 4.4 tonnes. In terms of per capita emissions, one US citizen is the equivalent of 19 Indians and 107 Bangladeshis.
Even by 2020, with almost one-fifth of the world's population residing in India, the country's share of greenhouse gas emissions is expected to rise by just seven per cent.
Mr Girish Sant of the Prayas Energy Group in Pune says, "The drivers for this situation is our low carbon lifestyle pattern such as vegetarianism, high use of non-motorised modes of transport and public transportation, high industrial energy prices, energy efficiency improvement in select industries and use of renewable energies." India's electricity tariffs are the highest in the world and gasoline and diesel cost more than they do in the US and China. The transportation sector in India is responsible for only about 15 per cent of total commercial energy consumption; globally, transportation makes up about a quarter of total energy demand.
Ms Sunita Narain, director of the Centre for Science and Environment, says that climate change is "real and urgent and it needs us to act quickly and drastically. But climate change is linked to economic growth."
If annual emissions remain at today's level, greenhouse gas emissions would be close to 550 ppm by 2050 and this would mean a rise in earth's temperature of 3 to 5 degrees centigrade, with disastrous consequences.
Developed countries have been saying that they will reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 80 per cent by 2050, but want developing countries too to accept emission reduction targets.
"Now there is pressure on India and China. Climate change is about sharing atmospheric space and economic growth. The rich have to reduce so the rest can grow and there shall not be climate injustice. Cooperation demands equity and fairness which is the pre-requisite for an effective climate agreement. The trajectory of growth has been to first pollute, get rich and then clean up. We are being asked to clean up before we get rich! Then, again, technologies that exist are expensive."
Ms Narain says industrialised countries have to make deep cuts (40 per cent by 2020). The emerging rich and the rest have to participate not by taking legally binding cuts but through a strategy to avoid future emissions.
"We need an effective climate agreement. We need a balanced climate agreement.Asking for it is not wrong.We must not mind being hated in the rich man's world," she said.
Dr Prodipto Ghosh, India's climate change negotiator said, "Developed countries have to be responsible to the historical accumulation and current levels and must be sincere in their discussions.They should stick to the Bali action plan. There is not the slightest change in India's stand. The Indian and Chinese delegations stood by each other in discussions and will continue to do so."
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