India pledges 25% emission cut by 2020

India pledges 25% emission cut by 2020
The Financial Express, December 4, 2009, Page 2

Rajiv Tikoo, New Delhi

As the Copenhagen climate change talks open next week, India pledges to cut its emission intensity by 20-25% by 2020 on a baseline of 2005.

While making the announcement in the Lok Sabha on Thursday, environment and forests minister Jairam Ramesh said, “It’s a voluntary and unilateral commitment and won’t be taken on as legally binding commitment.” He was responding during a special discussion on India’s position on climate change.

“India won’t accept any legally binding emission reduction targets or peaking year for emissions,” he added.

Referring to international verification, he said that while all our mitigation actions supported by the international support can be verified, unsupported action won’t be subjected to the same type of scrutiny. He added, “At the same time, we will be flexible without compromising our national interests.”

Stating it would help India negotiate from a point of strength during the Copenhagen talks, he added, “If there is a successful and equitable climate change agreement in Copenhagen and the international community extends support to us, we will do more.”

Ramesh said in his hour-long speech that the emission reduction target was arrived at by the Planning Commission and other institutions after considering that fact that India’s emission intensity has declined by 17.6% between 1990 and 2005. India’s energy intensity has been decreasing since eighties and is already in the same range as that of the least energy intensive countries in the world.

Further emission cuts are sought to be achieved by legislating mandatory fuel efficiency standards by 2011, introducing a model building energy code, making amendments to the Environment Conservation Act to introduce energy efficiency certificates, and making sure that 50% new capacity in power plants run on clean coal. Further, the low-carbon based growth model will be integrated in the 12th Five Year Plan, starting 2012.

The initial reaction from the industry and activists was positive. Arun Bharat Ram, chairman, SRF, said, “I am sure the industry will play an important role to ensure that the government plan materialises.” Saying that India is taking its fair share of the global effort on climate action unlike many key industrialised countries, Vinuta Gopal, climate campaign manager, Greenpeace India, added in a statement, “This finally signals India’s readiness to take leadership and be part of the climate solution.”

India’s announcement comes closely after China announced to cut its carbon intensity by 40-45% on a baseline of 2005. Though India’s per capita emission at low at 1.2 tonne compared to 21 tonne in the US and 5.5 tonne in China, India is the world’s fifth biggest greenhouse gases emitter.