There is no denying that the US-China climate deal has put the spotlight on India. The world’s two top emitters of greenhouse gases have set the tone for the climate change ministerial in Paris next year. China’s emissions will peak by 2030 under this arrangement, whereas US emissions will be down by 26 to 28 per cent by 2025 (over 2005 levels). India’s response that China’s development level cannot be compared with it has a ring of truth. The implication is that India’s right to the global atmosphere cannot be curtailed at this stage. China’s per capita income at $7,000 in PPP terms is nearly five times India’s. Its poverty level is 5 to 6 per cent against India’s 21 per cent. And, almost all Chinese homes have access to electricity against 75 per cent in India. But India’s response reflects a sense of being caught off-guard; China was until the other day with India, speaking for the rights of the emerging economies to grow and develop. Now, with China having crossed over, it will become that much harder for India to press for the valid distinction between developed and emerging economies. The challenge before New Delhi is to insist on ‘common but differentiated responsibility’ between the OECD and the rest (the 1997 Kyoto protocol) in any new framework that may emerge in Paris, without, however, getting isolated in the process.

The fault lines have, however, blurred since the days of the Kyoto protocol. First, extreme weather occurrences have become frequent. Second, the share of the developing world in annual emission flows has increased. So, while the industrialised West is responsible for the stock of greenhouse gases, developing world emissions account for about 60 per cent of incremental emissions. India’s per capita emissions are way below that of China and the US, but it is the third largest emitter. Finally, rising emerging country emissions would have to fall for the total stock of GHGs to be frozen; cuts by the rich countries alone will not suffice. This calls for a nuanced re-positioning of the Kyoto principle.

A new approach is needed for a world running out of time. Carbon budgeting — assessing the right of respective countries to the atmosphere, taking both stock and flows into account — is a possibility. Instead of reacting to developments and proposals, India should be proactive. There is much India can do without hurting its developmental goals. It must review its reliance on coal to generate electricity and tap nuclear power, solar and wind energy. Lessons can be learnt from Germany’s rapid shift to renewables. The willingness to discuss the use of hydrofluorocarbons with the US, a cooling agent in airconditioning that heats up the atmosphere, is a major step forward and can lead to technology transfer. The promotion of mass transport over personal vehicles and rail over road and air is an urgent need. We need a holistic approach to the issue of climate change.

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