Nov 14 2014 : The Times of India (Delhi)
Climate Breakthrough
US-China deal should prompt Delhi to pursue emission targets while decoupling from Beijing
The unveiling of a secretly negotiated deal between the USand China whereby both countries have pledged to reducegreenhouse gas emissions marks a watershed moment in global efforts to fight climate change. Before this China the world's largest emitter had insisted on its `developing' status to dodge reduction targets, while the US cited exclusion of developing countries from international emission norms to sidestep significant reduction targets itself.But the new deal not only sees the US commit to a 26-28% reduction in emissions below its 2005 level by 2025, it also sees China, for the first time, commit to capping its overall emissions by 2030 or earlier. For Washington this would mean doubling the pace of its own domestic emission cuts, while Beijing plans to increase theshare of non-fossil fuel energy sourcesin its overall energy mix to 20% by the2030 deadline. The deal between thetwo largest emitters also means thatthe scheduled UN climate talks inParis next year could now succeed inproducing a post-Kyoto Protocol agree ment that will take effect in 2020.
For that agreement to be imple mented it is imperative that the UStakes the lead in climate change miti gation. That's not only because theUS is among the highest per capita as well as historical emitters, but also because, more than any other country, it has the resources and innovative capacity to develop green technology. That said, the US-China deal also puts pressure on India to commit to emission caps of its own. India should accept the challenge while also decoupling itself from China.
Given that India's share of global carbon emissions last year was only 7% compared to China's 28% and the US's 14%, and that India is the lowest per capita emitter among major economies, New Delhi has a strong case for pitching for different standards. The previous Manmohan Singh government's position that India's per capita emission would never exceed the average per capita emission of the developed world is a reasonable one. Alternatively it could commit to never exceed total Chinese emissions since their population sizes are roughly the same. Both formulas would leave India enough space to pursue industrialisation and poverty reduction. For India, a balance between development and environment protection is the need of the hour.
For that agreement to be imple mented it is imperative that the UStakes the lead in climate change miti gation. That's not only because theUS is among the highest per capita as well as historical emitters, but also because, more than any other country, it has the resources and innovative capacity to develop green technology. That said, the US-China deal also puts pressure on India to commit to emission caps of its own. India should accept the challenge while also decoupling itself from China.
Given that India's share of global carbon emissions last year was only 7% compared to China's 28% and the US's 14%, and that India is the lowest per capita emitter among major economies, New Delhi has a strong case for pitching for different standards. The previous Manmohan Singh government's position that India's per capita emission would never exceed the average per capita emission of the developed world is a reasonable one. Alternatively it could commit to never exceed total Chinese emissions since their population sizes are roughly the same. Both formulas would leave India enough space to pursue industrialisation and poverty reduction. For India, a balance between development and environment protection is the need of the hour.
