NEW DELHI: India has refused to take a deadline for capping its emissions unlike China, saying the ongoing climate meet in Lima was not to discuss peaking year and hoped the world would reach a deal to cut down carbon emissions.
“Peaking year is not an issue to be discussed in Lima,” Environment Minister Prakash Javadekar told a press conference just ahead of leaving for Peruvian capital Lima to participate in the high-level ministerial segment of the UN climate conference where nations are discussing steps for a new deal in Paris to replace the Kyoto Protocol on global warming.
Listing out the steps taken by the government to give a boost to renewable sector, he said India, which has domestic obligations of addressing the basic development needs of poverty eradication, food security and nutrition, cannot afford to cut down carbon emission at the expense of economic growth.
He was asked about the deal announced last month between the US and China, which is part of BASIC bloc comprising India, Brazil and South Africa that had been raising concerns of developing countries in the global climate negotiations.
Under the deal, both countries agreed to cut greenhouse gas emissions by close to a third over the next two decades.
China would peak its carbon emissions no later than 2030.
At present, China’s carbon emissions are 9,000 million tonnes and it is expected to grow in between 18,000-20,000 MT in 2030, which is about 12-13 tonnes per capita.
Noting that India’s per capital carbon dioxide emission is much less than that of China, Javadekar said, “China is low on ambition… If somebody is happy with number, then you can yourself reach on that basis when India will reach that 12 tonnes per capita… We are not saying anything about (peaking year),” while listing the steps taken by the Indian government to deal with the climate challenge through local actions.
He said India will announce its Intended Nationally Determined Contributions (INDCs) “during the course of year” and “here also the peaking year is not the benchmark”.
“The benchmark is what will be our contribution. That we will definitely give which will be much more than people expect,” he said.
The minister said India will continue its cooperation with BASIC nations, G-77+ China and Least Developed countries.
Javadekar said Lima conference is going to be a milestone conference. “It should build trust and foundation for the 2015 global climate agreement. This can be achieved by constructing credibility of existing mechanism by comprehensive treatment of all issues under the UNFCCC processes,” he said.
“We don’t work under any pressure (in Lima),” he said, adding that India expects clear, transparent and coherent articulation of processes.–PTI
