Struggling to Take Clear Stand Indian PM Calls for Consensus Among Government Officials
In the recent few days the Indian government has struggled to clearly state its official stand on the issue of reducing carbon emissions. While the traditional stance has been to oppose any mandatory emission targets, their has been a drastic change in this policy with indications of a domestic emissions reduction law and other proactive mitigation measures. The situation worsened after the environment minister, in an informal letter to the Prime Minister, said that India needs to move away from its traditional stance accept a far more responsible role at the international arena.
Mr. Jairam Ramesh, while expressing his personal views, advised Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh that India needs to be more proactive in reducing its carbon emissions. He said that India needs to work beyond the issue of differential responsibility, which incidentally has been central to India’s opposition to mandatory emission cuts. The minister wrote that India should play the role of a deal maker and not a deal breaker. He added that by accepting greater responsibility India would gain strategic leverage at the international forums possibly paving way for India’s successful bid for an place in the UN Security Council.
Policy Change Under Pressure: For the last few months the India’s stance has been greatly influenced by international events. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton’s visit to China and the subsequent signing of a memorandum of understanding along with various other deals related to renewable energy, energy efficiency and green buildings put India in a spot of bother. With divisions clear among the developing countries, India too announced its intentions to follow China’s way.
The minister’s informal letter to the Prime Minister highlights the foundations of this policy shift. The minister advised the Prime minister to abandon support to the G77+ stance of opposition to mandatory emission cuts. The minster said that India’s traditional negotiations stand has been centered around its low per capita emissions level which is not a universal parameter for defining a countries responsibility to reduce carbon emissions.
The minister also pointed out the possibilities that India could not only lose billions of dollars in prospective green investment but also a chance to attain a bigger and more responsible role at various international forums like the United Nations Security Council and the World Trade Organization.
Opposition to Policy Shift: The main opposition parties have criticized the government’s openness to emission reductions. The scientific community too has lashed out at the minister’s view saying that the government is selling out to the developed countries by agreeing to emissions reductions while they themselves oppose stricter emission cuts for themselves.
There has been great debate over what the government should put on table at the Copenhagen Climate Summit in December. The situation mirrors the one witnessed during the debate of the Indo-US nuclear deal. While the proponents of the new stand feel that India needs to project itself as an international power, a game changer by taking up responsibilities similar to those taken up by the developed countries, the opponents fear that the government is giving up far too much than what it would be receiving as benefits.
A major problem in taking a clear stand is the fact that the government relies heavily on the international data on climate change. The ministers, like the common people, who have been called for the consensus building meeting have little scientific information about the impacts of climate change on the subcontinent. The government now seeks to develop indigenous data and research centers to gather information and study impacts of climate change on the India’s ecosystem.
With the scheduled meeting the Prime Minister would try to bring all the ministers and chief ministers of all the states to on board an unified stand to be taken at the Copenhagen Climate Summit.
Clearly the change in India’s stance has not been influenced by any internal awakening towards the urgency to act against rising levels of carbon emissions. It has been influenced by the pressure from developed countries and the fear of losing out to competitors like China. It will be interesting what stand India takes once the air of uncertainty is cleared.
Image: London Summit (Creative Commons)
The views presented in the above article are author’s personal views and do not represent those of TERI/TERI University where the author is currently pursuing a Master’s degree.
