Manmohanunveilsactionplanonclimatechange

Reiterating its commitment, India said that despite developmental imperatives, the per capita greenhouse gas emissions would not exceed that of the developed industrialised countries. Prime Minister Manmohan Singh said climate change was a challenge that could be overcome only through global, collaborative and cooperative efforts. He was releasing the 'National Action Plan on Climate Change' here, ahead of the G-8 Summit to be held in Japan next week. Developing countries want the industrialised nations to share the burden of reduction of GHG emissions. The developed world insists that the developing countries need to take greater steps to cut down on CO2 emissions.

For fair outcome

"India is prepared to play its role as a responsible member of the international community and make its own contribution. We are already doing so in the multilateral negotiations taking place under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) and the outcome we are looking for must be effective, fair and equitable," Dr. Singh said. Every citizen on the planet must have an equal share of the planetary atmospheric space. Long-term convergence of per capita emission was, therefore, the only equitable basis for a global compact on climate change.

Key components

The National Action Plan encompasses a broad and extensive range of measures, and focusses on eight missions, which will be pursued as key components of the strategy for sustainable development. These include missions on solar energy, enhanced energy efficiency, sustainable habitat, conserving water, sustaining the Himalayan ecosystem, creating a "Green India," sustainable agriculture and, finally, establishing a strategic knowledge platform for climate change.The mission for sustaining the Himalayan ecosystem will include measures for sustaining and safeguarding the Himalayan glacier and mountain ecosystem as it is the source of key perennial rivers. The Green India mission will enhance ecosystem services including carbon sinks, to be called Green India. The sustainable agriculture mission intends making agriculture more resilient to climate change by identifying and developing new varieties of crops that are thermal-resistant and capable of withstanding extreme weather. The mission on strategic knowledge will identify challenges and develop responses to climate change.

Solar mission

The solar mission will be launched to significantly increase the share of solar power in the total energy mix while recognising the need for expanding the scope of other renewable and non-fossil options such as nuclear energy, wind energy and biomass. Under the national mission for enhanced energy efficiency, four new initiatives including a market-based mechanism to improve the cost-effectiveness of improvements will be put in place. With solid waste proving a major challenge, the action plan stresses recycling material and urban waste management, and developing technology to produce power from waste.The mission on sustainable habitats will include a major research and development programme, focussing on biochemical conversion, waste water use, sewage utilisation and recycling options wherever possible.

The Hindu, July 7, 2008

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