ID :
12023
Thu, 07/10/2008 - 10:51
Auther :
Shortlink :
http://m.oananews.org//node/12023
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PM opposes emission quota for developing world,puts onus on G8
V S Chandrasekar Toyako (Japan), July 10 (PTI) Opposing any move to impose quantitative restrictions for greenhouse emissions on developing countries, India Wednesday asked the industrialised world not to use climate change to introduce conditionalities or "protectionism" that will hinder their efforts to meet thealready complex development challenges.
In his intervention at the Major Economies Meeting (M.E.M.) comprising the G-8, the five outreach countries (O-5) and others, on the issue of climate change, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh pointed out that the developed countries had failed to show progress on the low levels of agreed greenhousegases reductions and asked the G-8 to take lead on the issue.
"The quicker you reduce your emissions, the greater the incentive for us to follow," Singh told the M.E.M., also dubbed the major emitters meeting, attended by world leaders like U.S. President George W. Bush, French President Nicholas Sarkozy, British Prime Minister Gordon Brown and GermanChancellor Angela Merkel.
Climate change was a huge challenge for all, Singh said, but "it should not be used to add conditionalities to the already complex development challenge that the developing countires faced or retaining the economic status quo or attempting to introduce protectionism by another means." The Prime Minister made it clear that developing countries cannot for the present even consider quantitivative restrictions on their emissions as sustained and acceleratedeconomic growth is critical for them.
Favouring greater resources and technology flow from the developed world to the developing countries to combat climate change, Singh asserted that the first and overridingpriority of all developing countries is poverty eradication.
"The imperative for accelerated growth is even more urgent when we consider the disproportionate impact of climate change on us," he said, adding developing country were left with little choice but to devote even more resources to adaptation in critical areas of food security, public healthand management of scarce water resources.
And this, he said, comes at a time when we are faced with an ever-increasing energy bill putting our energysecurity at extreme risk.
The prime minister said there should be no detraction of public and private development transfers and flows. Rather there must be new and additional resources made available todeveloping countries.
"We have not not seen demonstrable progress on even the low levels of agreed greenhouse gases (G.H.G.) reduction from developed countries and, indeed, the prognosis is that their emissions as a whole will continue to rise even in theyears to come," he said.
He said this must change and "you (G-8) must all show the leadership that you have always promised by taking and then delivering truly significant G.H.G. reductions. Let me assure you that as a responsible nation that is particularly mindful of its international obligations, India is committed to a path of sustainable development." The prime minister said though India's per-capita emissions were among the lowest in the world and was certainly not freed from riders of major emitters, it has adopted astrong National Action Plan on Climate Change.
"Our efforts, of course, would be greatly enhanced with global support, especially in terms of financial flowsand technology access.
"India is determined that even as we pursue our economic growth and development, our per capita emissions will not notgo beyond those of the developed countries," Singh said.
"But, this convergence idea is also a challenge to the developed countries. The quicker you reduce your emissions, the greater the incentive for us to follow." An inequitable burden and carbon space sharing paradigm is also the key to realising the ultimate objection of the U.N. Framework Convention on Climate Change, the primeminister said.
He also made an impassioned appeal for eschewing consumption patterns and lifestyles worldwide. "I also believe that technology is a critical transformation agent for bothmitigation and adaptation.
"Collective R and D between developing and developed country institutions for affordable advanced clean technologies as well as their transfer, deployment and diffusion in developing countries needs to be expanded." He said there was also a need for a fairer intellectual property rights regime for advanced clean technologies so that rewards for innovators were sufficiently remunerative and at the same time they were made available to developing countriesat affordable cost.
Indeed there is a strong case that critical technologiesbe treated as global public goods.
Singh welcomed the serious negotiations for enhanced implementation of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change through long term cooperative action, but said it was very important that its provisions and principles, especially common but differentiated responsibilities and respective capabilities, were respected in these talks and their outcomes in letter and spirit. PTI
In his intervention at the Major Economies Meeting (M.E.M.) comprising the G-8, the five outreach countries (O-5) and others, on the issue of climate change, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh pointed out that the developed countries had failed to show progress on the low levels of agreed greenhousegases reductions and asked the G-8 to take lead on the issue.
"The quicker you reduce your emissions, the greater the incentive for us to follow," Singh told the M.E.M., also dubbed the major emitters meeting, attended by world leaders like U.S. President George W. Bush, French President Nicholas Sarkozy, British Prime Minister Gordon Brown and GermanChancellor Angela Merkel.
Climate change was a huge challenge for all, Singh said, but "it should not be used to add conditionalities to the already complex development challenge that the developing countires faced or retaining the economic status quo or attempting to introduce protectionism by another means." The Prime Minister made it clear that developing countries cannot for the present even consider quantitivative restrictions on their emissions as sustained and acceleratedeconomic growth is critical for them.
Favouring greater resources and technology flow from the developed world to the developing countries to combat climate change, Singh asserted that the first and overridingpriority of all developing countries is poverty eradication.
"The imperative for accelerated growth is even more urgent when we consider the disproportionate impact of climate change on us," he said, adding developing country were left with little choice but to devote even more resources to adaptation in critical areas of food security, public healthand management of scarce water resources.
And this, he said, comes at a time when we are faced with an ever-increasing energy bill putting our energysecurity at extreme risk.
The prime minister said there should be no detraction of public and private development transfers and flows. Rather there must be new and additional resources made available todeveloping countries.
"We have not not seen demonstrable progress on even the low levels of agreed greenhouse gases (G.H.G.) reduction from developed countries and, indeed, the prognosis is that their emissions as a whole will continue to rise even in theyears to come," he said.
He said this must change and "you (G-8) must all show the leadership that you have always promised by taking and then delivering truly significant G.H.G. reductions. Let me assure you that as a responsible nation that is particularly mindful of its international obligations, India is committed to a path of sustainable development." The prime minister said though India's per-capita emissions were among the lowest in the world and was certainly not freed from riders of major emitters, it has adopted astrong National Action Plan on Climate Change.
"Our efforts, of course, would be greatly enhanced with global support, especially in terms of financial flowsand technology access.
"India is determined that even as we pursue our economic growth and development, our per capita emissions will not notgo beyond those of the developed countries," Singh said.
"But, this convergence idea is also a challenge to the developed countries. The quicker you reduce your emissions, the greater the incentive for us to follow." An inequitable burden and carbon space sharing paradigm is also the key to realising the ultimate objection of the U.N. Framework Convention on Climate Change, the primeminister said.
He also made an impassioned appeal for eschewing consumption patterns and lifestyles worldwide. "I also believe that technology is a critical transformation agent for bothmitigation and adaptation.
"Collective R and D between developing and developed country institutions for affordable advanced clean technologies as well as their transfer, deployment and diffusion in developing countries needs to be expanded." He said there was also a need for a fairer intellectual property rights regime for advanced clean technologies so that rewards for innovators were sufficiently remunerative and at the same time they were made available to developing countriesat affordable cost.
Indeed there is a strong case that critical technologiesbe treated as global public goods.
Singh welcomed the serious negotiations for enhanced implementation of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change through long term cooperative action, but said it was very important that its provisions and principles, especially common but differentiated responsibilities and respective capabilities, were respected in these talks and their outcomes in letter and spirit. PTI
