India and other developing countries should call for higher commitment from the US to combat climate change at the Paris conference in December as its current intended contributions are “unambitious and iniquitous”, the Centre for Science and Environment, a Delhi-based NGO, has said in a report.

While the US agreed to a 26-28 per cent reduction in its emissions by 2025 over 2005-levels, it translates into just a 13-15 per cent cut over 1990 levels compared to a 40 per cent cut promised by the EU, the study analysing the US’ Intended Nationally Determined Contributions (INDCs) said.

“This is so because the US refused to be a signatory of the Kyoto Protocol and kept increasing its emissions throughout the nineties and their emissions peaked in 2005,” pointed out Chandra Bhushan from the CSE.

The developing world should ensure that the US does not usurp most of the available carbon space, the CSE argued. “The Paris Agreement should also talk about carbon budget. India must insist that it needs space to grow beyond 2030,” Bhushan added.

The UN has set a goal of limiting rising temperatures to 2 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial times, for which the total emissions have to be capped. Carbon budget lays down how much emissions can be allowed so that the 2 degrees mark is not breached.

The report further stated that the energy systems in the US would remain fossil fuel heavy with 76 per cent of total primary energy coming from fossil fuels in 2030, and renewables contributing just 15 per cent, up from 11 per cent currently.

“The US would continue to hog remaining carbon space disproportionately, like it has done in the past. With just 5 per cent of the global population, it will eat into 17.25 per cent of the global budget till 2030. Beyond 2030, hardly any carbon budget would be left for other countries,” it said.

The CSE presented the report to Environment, Forest and Climate Change Minister Prakash Javadekar on Wednesday.

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