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, 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.
Ramesh said in his hourlong 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.
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.
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The Indian government has finally laid out it's plans for tackling climate change. They still need some debate on the detail, but overall it's a good first step. I'm glad we're finally showing leadership on this issue.
However the US and other developed nations are still playing truant. They are the ones who caused the problem to begin with and now they continue to hide from their responsibility despite great steps taken by developing nations.
We now need to put pressure on developed nations. Let’s get out of our comfort zones and take action.
12 December is the global day of action. I am gonna be there. Please join the movement. It's the revolution of our era.
http://greenidol.in/volunteers/global-day-of-climate-action/
Please spread the word. It's for our future
I really hope the leaders at the summit will go beyond the politics and agree on a way forward to save the planet for us and our future generations.
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