The Hindu Business Line : How green was my budget?

Ever picked up a food-packet at your nearest retail shop and wondered how many food-miles it has travelled to get to the market shelf? Or whether that inexpensive flight you are on is contributing to global warming? Confronting the reality that individual lifestyle choices are affecting environment, climate-conscious behaviour is filtering down from governments to people, in countries such as the UK.

Carbon footprint

People are being roped in as foot-soldiers to check energy consumption and carbon emission to tackle climate change. So now you have web sites that help you calculate you carbon footprint and food companies that promise to label food-miles on their products.

But it is with some discomfort that one watches these high-decibel green campaigns in markets abroad, especially compared to the virtual silence at home. Except for a little activity around investing in clean development mechanisms and being part of the carbon-trading market, green concerns do not seem to dominate public policy or corporate agendas.

A stark contrast to consumer goods companies in the UK that advertise energy-efficient washing machines or detergents that use less water and power, for instance, to cater to the ethical consumer. Retail giants are looking to introduce carbon audits in their supply chains and airline companies are constantly being reminded that their numerous flights are contributing to global warming. The aviation industry is under pressure to straighten routes, bring in greater fuel efficiencies and reduce congestion and delays to control its carbon emissions.

UK vs India

All it takes is a comparison of two Budget policy statements, in India and the UK, to illustrate further who is grabbing the green concern by its horns. The pre-Budget statement in the UK last December increased the price on fuel, doubled air passenger duties and gave sops to zero-carbon, energy-efficient homes, in an effort to be carbon conscious.

The UK Budget presented on Wednesday also has broad strokes of green visible in the reduced duties on bio-fuels, among other initiatives. Though green-supporters in the UK push for more action on the environment and climate front, there is some comfort in that green concerns are getting addressed in policy and public life.

Cut to our own Budget statement of last month. Save a mention of how India was not a significant contributor to greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and that it will not be so in the foreseeable future, the Budget did not have much on offer to tackle climate change. There was a conspicuous absence of bold steps to bring carbon-conscious behaviour into the public life of people.

A wilting vision indeed, especially since lifestyles in emerging economies such as India and China are expected to have a significant impact on the climatic changes that people across the world will have to weather in future.

P. T. Jyothi Datta