India offers to cut carbon emissions 20-25% by ’20

India offers to cut carbon emissions 20-25% by ’20
The Economic Times, December 04, 2009, Page 1

New Delhi Says Legally-Binding Target A No-No

Our Political Bureau NEW DELHI

INDIA on Thursday tabled its emission offer for the Copenhagen summit — a reduction of 20-25% in carbon intensity by 2020 from 2005 levels through policy interventions, including mandatory fuel efficiency standards for all vehicles.

This reduction in emission intensity will be voluntary. In other words, a legally binding commitment is a strict “no”.

“We are telling the world that India is voluntarily ready to reduce emission intensity by 20-25% in 15 years from 2005. The Planning Commission has, on the basis of historical experience, concluded that a 20-25% cut in emission intensity between 2005 and 2020 is possible. India will not be taking a legal undertaking and this will not be a law,” minister of state for environment and forests Jairam Ramesh told the Lok Sabha.

The non-negotiables for India included its opposition to a legally binding emission target and peaking figure. “India will not initiate an agreement that will mention a peaking year. There is no question of compromise on these two issues,” Mr Ramesh said.

The announcement comes just days before world leaders are set to gather in Denmark to discuss a new climate pact, where they will hope to reach a new agreement to curb emissions of greenhouse gases.

The Danish draft unveiled on Tuesday had put an emission peaking year for India at 2030.

The development must be comforting for the US, which has been nudging India into announcing an emission figure.

It also fits in well with Washington’s “pledge and verify” strategy.

US President Barack Obama had announced a provisional commitment last week for the United States, pledging to reduce absolute emissions in the range of 17% by 2020. China, too, pledged last week to cut its own “carbon intensity” 40-45% by 2020.

On his part, Mr Ramesh said the government is willing to travel more distance provided “our concerns are allayed and equitable agreement is reached” at Copenhagen.

For the climate change summit at Copenhagen, the announcement sends a positive signal. And the next one year of negotiations will see whether India is willing to move beyond the “pledge” to the “verification” stage.

“Today, it is non-negotiable, but it will depend on the concessions made. It could be modulated. We are ready for verification of mitigation actions undertaken with international support. But we will not allow the same kind of scrutiny to unsupported actions. But we can consider a change in this (position),” the minister said.

The government’s emission cut plan is based on the carbon intensity reduction of 17.6% achieved between 1990 and 2005. Given that no carbon profiling has been undertaken in India beyond the power sector, this figure seems to be based solely on data for emissions from fuels — oil, gas and coal. It was not clear from the minister’s response whether this figure included emission intensity in agriculture and other sectors.