Green Options » National Action Plan

India: No to Emission Reduction Targets, Yes to International Funding

Mridul Chadha — Tue, 21 Jul 2009 12:16:23 +0000

During Secretary Clinton’s visit, India once again made it clear that it will not agree to mandatory emission reduction targets since in doing so it could potentially jeopardize its endeavor to eliminate poverty. However, the Indian government reiterated its previous stance that it will pursue expansion of renewable energy infrastructure.

India’s minister for environment and forests, Mr. Jairam Ramesh, disappointed Secretary Clinton by saying that climate change and poverty alleviation are linked to each other and that his government was not willing to pass on the burden economic burden of the mitigation measures on to its poor and middle class which form more than 50 percent of the population.

India may have agreed to limit the rise in global temperatures to 2°C but like the developed nations it too failed to come up with plans on how to achieve that goal. The Indian government maintains that given its low per capita emissions it would be unfair if it is asked to adopt carbon emission reduction goals; developed countries, some which have per capita emissions almost 20 times that of India’s, should take far greater responsibility in cutting carbon emissions. Calling for an equitable deal on cutting carbon emissions, India frequently reminds the developed nations of their historical responsibility.

Citizen Groups Respond to India’s National Action Plan on Climate Change

Govind Singh — Tue, 08 Jul 2008 20:33:30 +0000

Prime Minister of India Dr. Manmohan Singh at the National Action Plan on Climate Change Release Function

Barely a week after the release of the National Action Plan on Climate Change (NAPCC), citizen groups and civil society members from across India have been putting forward their viewpoints on the Action Plan. Shortly after the release, the Climate Challenge India (CCI) coalition, a grouping of environmental experts, financiers, businesspeople, analysts and activists committed to developing a positive leadership agenda on climate change for India, issued an independent Interim Assessment of the Government of India’s ‘National Action Plan on Climate Change’. The assessment gives the Government a B+ for effort and a D for vision. NAPCC was released on the 30th of June 2008 by the Prime Minister of India, in a high profile function in New Delhi.

National Action Plan on Climate Change Launched: Solar Energy to Change the Face of India

Govind Singh — Mon, 30 Jun 2008 21:36:03 +0000

India Launches Climate Change Plan Focusing on Solar Power

In a brief summary at New Delhi today (June 30), the Prime Minister (PM) of India released the National Action Plan on Climate Change. Prepared under the guidance and direction of Prime Minister’s Council on Climate Change, the Plan was released amidst members of the Council, representatives of civil society and senior officials of the Government.

At a time when India is faced with the challenge of sustaining its rapid economic growth in a climate constrained world, the Action Plan pushes for not just promoting sustainable production processes, but also, sustainable lifestyles across the globe. The Action Plan focuses attention on eight priorities National Missions, the first among which is “Solar Energy”, whose success, according to the Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh, has the potential to change the face of India.