An Indian Perspective On Global Warming

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: have brought out that climate change has begun to trigger the spread of disease in plants and animals, but which may eventually spill over to humans.

Kyoto Protocol
The Earth Summit of 1992 arrived at a Framework Convention on Climate Change (FCCC). The Conference of the Parties (CoP) held at Kyoto in Japan in 1997 arrived at a Protocol setting legally binding targets for industrialised countries to reduce their GHG emissions by about 7 percent from 1990 emission levels by 2008-2012. The success of the Protocol hinges upon ratification by at least 55 countries, particularly the biggest contributors of emissions. However, the US, which is the largest producer of GHG emissions, despite having signed the Protocol with a commitment to reduce emissions by 25 percent to 30 percent by 2010 as compared to 1990 levels, refuses to ratify the Protocol until the developing countries, particularly India and China, are also brought on board.

The Way Ahead - Need for a Roadmap
Current political agendas at national and international levels revolve more around Terrorism, relegating issues on Environment to the background. The Development versus Environment debate makes it even more difficult for environmental issues to come to the centrestage of politics. But the problem of GW is here to stay for several decades. The developed group of nations have still not arrived at an agreement on implementing significant cuts in GHG emissions. The principle of “differentiated responsibilities” included in the Climate Change Convention places a greater responsibility on the countries of the North in emissions reductions.

Undoubtedly, there has been a lot more than mere rhetoric in dealing with climate change issues, across both the North and South. The international negotiating processes have evolved the Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) and Joint Implementation Programmes, apart from Emission Trading, to bring about “clean energy”, i.e. low carbon energy. Nevertheless, the action taken so far has been significantly less than desired levels.

The Indian government and non-governmental organisations have been actively participating in the global negotiations and their follow-up actions with a view to moving along the path of “clean energy” technologies. This is a long term process involving not only resources but also a commitment to implement clean technologies.