Montek rejects UNDP report on emission reduction
Says India Welcomes Green Moves But Should Not Be Singled Out For Meeting Targets
PLANNING Commission deputy chairman Montek Singh Ahluwalia has rejected the UNDP report that developing countries such as India should reduce their carbon emissions by 20% by the end of 2050 to tackle the issue of climate change.
"It is not acceptable altogether," Mr. Ahluwalia said. In its Human Development Report (HRD) for 2007 - 08, UNDP has asked the developed world to reduce emission by 80% 2050.
Quoting Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, he said that India is not against reduction of carbon emission, but Indian should not be singled out.
Mr. Ahluwalia asked UNDP to bring out a supplementary to the report wherein recommendations should be based on per capita emission figures and not based on total emission by a single country. He said that there should be a standard norm about per capita carbon emission and India would raise the issue during the upcoming Bali negotiations on port-Kyoto agreement on reduction of greenhouse gas emission.
According to the report tackling climate change could cost 1.6% of average global GDP until 2030. It has also asked the developed countries to transfer about $ 86 billion to fund the critical adaptation measures for the changing environment. Particularly for India the report recommends an additional expenditure of five billion dollars per year till 2017 in the energy sector, if the country wants its capacity addition plans in the energy sector to be carbon compliant.
The UN Development Programme has also recommended the creation of a Climate Change Mitigation Facility to mobilise $ 25 - 50 billion per year to support low carbon transitions in developing countries through a mix of grants, concessional aid and risk guarantees for investment under nationally-owned energy sector reform programmes.
Overall, it called on nations to agree to a "global sustainable pathway" aimed at 50% reduction of greenhouse gas emission by 2050 from 1990 levels.
The Human Development Report on Climate Change, which comes ahead of the negotiations in Bali on a post-Kyoto agreement on reduction of greenhouse gas emission, said nations should establish an agreed threshold for dangerous climate change at 2 degree C above pre-industrial levels.
The two week Bali conference begins on December 3. The Kyoto protocol is due to expire in 2012.
Source: Economic Times
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