By IANS,
Kolkata : India Friday said some of the proposals the developed countries were making on emission controls were a major departure from their commitments to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) and the Kyoto Protocol.
“Somehow a negative impression is being created that India and other developing countries are refusing to take on climate change. That’s not the case,” the Prime Minister’s Special Envoy on Climate Change Shyam Saran said here.
“As per the UNFCCC, reducing emissions is largely the responsibility of industrialised countries. But they are not even adhering to the legally binding regulations,” he said on the sidelines of the Environment and Energy Conclave organised by the Bengal Chamber of Commerce and Industry.
Saran also contested the view that the success or failure of talks at the United Nations Climate Change Conference at Copenhagen Dec 7-18 depended on the issue of current emissions.
“Climate change is taking place largely because of greenhouse gas emissions. Most of it is from the developed and industrialised nations. Should we ignore that and focus only on current emissions?” Saran asked.
“To say current emissions needed to be reduced means putting a cap on development. A large number of our population still does not have access to electricity. We need to bring electricity to their homes.”
He said it was the considered stand of all the developing countries that any outcome at Copenhagen should be equitable.
Asked about the chances of a breakthrough in the talks, Saran said: “We remain optimistic”.
To a query as to whether it would not be catastrophic for the world if the talks broke down, he said: “Well, if you think that Copenhagen means the end of the world, then you can think that way. But irrespective of the outcome, the talks will continue”.
“But the point is the kind of proposals the developed countries are coming up with are a major departure from their earlier commitments.”
Contrasting India’s stand with the developed nations, he said: “The developing countries wanted a 40 percent cut in carbon emissions compared to 1990. But some (developed nations) said 2005 should be the base year. By this view, if 2020 is the target, then the carbon emissions cut will be only 15 percent. This is not acceptable.”
Asked about the steps India has taken to reduce emissions, Saran referred to the national clean coal initiative programme. “We know 50 percent of the power generation in 2030 will be dependent on coal. So we are trying to increase the efficiency of coal utilisation from 35 percent to 55 percent. That will decrease the quantity of coal used.”
He said a plan was afoot to use carbon emissions to promote the growth of green algae, which would then become the source of bio-fuel.